#so much has happened ever since chapter 29
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synsio · 26 days ago
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The way Taeheon and Junseo interact has changed so much, I want to know why so badly
What the hell happened between chapter 29 and chapter 41 that has yun taeheon like this...? Like hell between that time and now they have RINGS?? (Yes i know its part of the plan but those rings sure as hell werent cheap, and they also mustve had to find time to talk to each other based on the texts)
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This whole segment of the chapter feels oddly casual compared to their other interactions, but perhaps thats me having faulty memory. After all, taeheon always addressed junseo with a degree of formality up until this chapter (i'd like you to pay attention to the fact that this is the next in-person interaction we get of them, after woo hyein called out that theyre "not that close" and "you dont trust him")
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Theyre on first name basis now too by the way. This chapter just feels like a fever dream, i think. Taeheon is just so much more ... perceptive when it comes to Junseo now. He used to not notice when Junseo was overthinking like this, but now he catches onto it AND he snaps Junseo out of it.
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Not only that but previously, it felt almost as if Yun Taeheon saw Junseo as a useful ally/asset to have connections with. Now it feels as if Yun Taeheons idea of what Junseo means to him is so much more... firm??? He knows what he wants from Junseo; he wants Junseo to bring out his potential, the one thats usually locked behind his weaponry issue. He doesn't care about anything else, he doesnt care about the unreasonable demands he has to meet in order to keep Junseo by his side
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Its not just taeheon thats so much more comfortable around the other either. Although its less obvious with Junseo, since he's rarely seen giving a damn about how others perceive him, he actually does pay a little bit of attention to how characters like Han Jia treat him. Taeheon is the first person Junseo has ever been able to trust ever since he inherited his past life memories, aside from elizabeth.
Sometimes i wonder how painful that mustve been before he started trusting Taeheon, knowing that the only person you've been able to trust is the person you have literal control over. Is that really trust? Or do you just lack fear because you have control over whether or not they get to spread this information? How did he feel when he realized that the rental pay didn't work on Taeheon?
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chilkookiepal · 3 months ago
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Burn With Me
kind of yandere /toxic JJK x Reader (hints at reader being black)
summary : in which what yours is mine to Jungkook and what's his is infact Not yours
genre / angst for this chapter , dark romance, themes of exercised control
MINORS DO NOT INERACT!!!
🤍🤍🤍 🤍🤍🤍 🤍🤍🤍 🤍🤍🤍 🤍🤍🤍 🤍🤍🤍
Jungkook doesn't share
he will do anything you tell him to He would become your servant if you allowed that
He was very curious about  you which meant that he had to be attached to your hip whenever he could that also to him and in his own merits of logic meant that he was allowed to be in your business as much as he wanted You didn't even have to know
he was watching his own unspoken rules getting jeopardized at times especially when you did things like these
What belonged to you belonged to him and the opposite was a dead end
It wasn't just you , jungkook just consisted of too many possessive bones in his body
It's either he was just that good at masking his distaste for sharing or you just couldn't take a hint He didn't even have the time to do s double take in his already livid state
see the thing is he was simply caught off guard
you had gotten into the mood to clean up the house which also meant that the laundry coul not be avoided
You and Jungkook were simply cohabitant new room mates and it has been a little over a month since a friend sent you in the direction of an empty apartment listing Doing all in her might to get you out of her and her boyfriend's freaky way
Upon meeting your landlord you had been skeptical but you didn't have that many choices plus the neighborhood seemed safe and the rent was pretty fair so you moved in
You both got along fine ,quickly falling into a routine,the living situation was practically homey, marriage like sealed with a lot of tension.
his jaw was so tensed if you noticed you would think something was bound to snap,his reaction was simply an erorr detection in his exercised control
you had these instances where you stepped on his toes without even thinking twice
you were not being the most considerate in his eyes and this additional moment as if his day was not bad enough to you, why did you have to have your episodes right when he was livid
he was simply pissed off and you just happened to be the first thing in sight , a winner of his bad moods by default as his eyebrows scrunch at your appearance
"Is that my t-shirt?"
You were a mess to say the least, your braids in a ponytail that fell down from a bun keep getting in your face disrupting the surface of the counter that you are currently wiping down at
in the background you hum to a song blasting on volume 29 , it's nearing 1pm in the day when the door ahead beeps and open revealing a slightly disheveled Jungkook who had knocked off work earlier than normally
Something about his presence is not very friendly in this moment where his tongue pokes at the side of his cheek from the inside
You had never seen him like this before, a nervous light smile gracing your lips When your eyes trail further to examine him his lip seems slightly busted "Jungkook, what happened…are you okay?" You simply ask concern fully evident in your widened shiny orbs
You are not sure what is happening exactly between Jungkook rolling his eyes, a dark chuckle, the quirking if his eyebrow and the impatience evident on his face all together bringing you back to his initial and only words to you as it was your first time seeing him today
"Oh yeah, I was doing laundry and my clothes got drenched " growing antsy under the weight of his gaze you assure him that you have plans to wash it and that it was safe
"So you wear my clothes, who gave you permission?"
if you ever thought your eyes could not get any bigger they could as well have been hanging out of their sockets in this instant
"I didn't think you would mind-' He is stepping closer in slow strides and unwavering predatory gaze solely focused on you and you alone you look like a deer caught in the headlights
"Who gave you the fucking permission to wear my shirt y/n ?"
He seems to be a different person as he stops a little distance from you eyebrows drawn together in an angry frown
you're still trying to be sure that this is Jungkook that standing in front of you, to keep yourself from running the hell out of sight
"I'm sorry, I -" he chuckles in disbelief "you can be such a selfish brat sometimes, I can't believe you would just help yourself to my clothes without my permission  what else do you fucking take from me when I'm not around, huh?"
It's a rhetorical question and His words taking on a patronizing tone that triggers a defensive alarm in your brain
the way he drags his eyes across you makes you question your existence for a hot minute
and somewhere between the pitch of Jungkooks mean words , his gaze and the ringing in your ears turning into a deafening  intolerable sound your eyes start tearing up and when you can no longer take any of it even the t-shirt feels like it's weighing you down and in the defeat of it all your hands reach for the hem of the shirt and you drag the t-shirt over your head shoving it in his chest before turning to hide away behind the protective walls of the one thing you infact had the full rights to in jungkooks shared apartment
You are simply too livid to realize the state you have him in in the span of the moment you throw his shirt at him
Tits standing pretty above your figure He never thought he'd ever see this view
and when you turn away from him your pretty ass swaying makes him want to pull you back in to his arms just to feel the softness of your flesh against his finger tips and another tip making his explosive mood into something more sinister than what he had been initially presented with
"Fuck " he lets out under his shaky breath
The door slamming in a distance ahead
You don't come out of your room in the next four hours
Hopeful that he would leave again
You had fallen asleep somewhere in between your crying waking up around sun down to take down your laundry you tie your robe around your figure and your door creaks at contact You don't even make it far when you spot familiar closet colors that belong to you already folded neatly on the nearest couch to your room
You don't bother to look for him Even when the kitchen smells nice and dishes clank there
You retreat back to your room before exiting again to take a shower
When done you get back into your room not acknowledging his presence even though he's sitting right across the room
You were dressed up when you exited the room again, wearing your work attire with your braids flowing down your back and a satchel bag on your shoulder He could tell you were off to work with your change of clothes in the bag that has some volume today hinting him something he won't even let himself consider
He's there on the kitchen island following your every move with his eyes you know he is there so you ignore more you see him as you look around for your preferred pair of sneakers that you are not sure where they went
The comfortable ones that tolerate your herrendous hours of standing
frustrated you go back into your room to check again settling on a  different pair
"Come and eat " A voice you are ignoring announces from the kitchen You ignore him
you are approaching the door when he stands in front of you
"Please "
"I'm not hungry " you say lowly
Your stomach growls for the nth time like a paid actor
his eyebrows knitted knowing that you had not eaten in hours
You try to push past him but he just stands in your way tall and broad as ever
You glare at him hoping he will get the message
Angel,I'm sorry ," he takes the opportunity to let out the word when your eyes finally meet his
"Yeah me too , could you move"
He won't budge , refusing to let you leave without eating
"I'm really not interested"
At least you were talking
"Please"
he has those sparkling eyes staring into your soul
"I already dished for two "
"Well now you got extra for tomorrow "
"You can't work on an empty stomach"
you ignore the last bit of his opinion continuing to scurry away and you don't even hear him approach you until he's dragging you to the counter opening a chair for you and putting a plate in front of you
You eat with him still avoiding him You were always like this You got scared to look people in the eyes whenever you had arguments
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean any of the things I said- I was not even upset with you, you were just there"
You clear your throat before muttering a heavy apology that tugs at your heart strings
"I'm sorry-
I'm sorry for wearing your t-shirt, it won't happen again"
You simply got forward and out of lane earlier and that makes your appetite want to desipate
You were probably being unreasonable but what if he resented you for all he did for you as well
You surely despised feeling indebted to people and you feared overstepping boundaries and overstaying your welcomes
"Thanks for the food " You are on your feet to do the dishes when he does it again, he takes the dishes to put them in the dishwasher before you can make it to the sink
"Princess, look at me"
He was now stood in front of you too close for your bond to Jungkook that is under reevaluation
With a sharp inhale you meet his gaze , unreadable, almost unfamiliar
"I- I have to go"
He wants to place his arms on the counter to cage you there and never let you out of his sight
"Let me drive you there"
"thank but my ride is already here"
This was his least favorite category of brattiness from you and if you weren't already icing him out he would have pointed it out
You excuse yourself past him and rush for the exit your sneakers squeaking against the tiles with each hypnotic sway of your hips A part of him thinks you don't even know what you do to him And
Truth is you had no clue what you had gotten yourself into He was trying his hardest to change , learning to leave behind a method of love that burns and destroys him and anything he touches
This was no regular man, he was something far more than obsessive and he was scared that he was already getting too lost in you You were right here under his nose now , you grew on him too quickly
What's yours was his and what's his was his, YOU were his you just didn't know it yet which was why he got pissed earlier when you fit perfectly into HIS t-shirt you disrupt an order of control that goes unspoken to him
wearing his t-shirt was just too hard for him to handle but fuck that image of your body is now engrained in his head and in the camera east corner of the apartment in the living room too small to be noticable Well at least to your pretty eyes he thought to himself Same pretty eyes that were glossy when you looked up at him earlier with just a pair of cotton panties on
another pair that you would be losing to Jungkook without a clue in the world
He had no interest to wash that shirt anytime soon, your bare nipples were pressed right against that fabric, his shirt for fucks sake
He wanted to lift you in the air and just fuck you then and there but !he was a patient man however far that would take him
you were becoming like a deep ocean slowly sinking him to the bottom with an anchor that he tied himself securely to his own ankle
You didn't even have to do anything to have him wrapped around your little finger and that is how he knew he had no plans of letting you go well at least any time soon ...
DON'T BE A SILENT READER , I'M HUNGRY FOR FEEDBACK 😭😭
do not translate ,copy / re-use .
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jiminjamms · 9 months ago
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sex therapy :: 26. together
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chapter tags/warnings: a very broken marriage. heavy angst. at least i am not gege. mai and maki and megumi as an iconic trio. infidelity/adultery. family drama. strong language. corruption. 
word count: 4.8k
notes: thank you for the overwhelming reception from the last chapter! work has been consuming my life, sadly, which is why this chapter took longer than i anticipated. gr. in this upcoming piece, though, my main focuses are the character development in y/n as well as explanations from toji himself. enjoy! likes, comments, and reblogs are much appreciated. xoxo
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fic masterlist | 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33.
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A large, warm hand massaged the delicate stretch between your thumb and forefinger. 
Gently. Leisurely. Daintily. 
Vanilla and cinnamon notes entered your lungs with every inhale, a velvetiness akin to everything you imagined clouds to be like if brushing against your cheek, the comforting sensations bringing back nostalgic memories from the carefree times your heart longed to return to. 
Was this Heaven? you wondered in this dark and dreamy daze.
You would not mind staying in this state eternally if that meant the promise of peace and quiet forever.
A voice, not from yourself, dispersed your thoughts.
“Suguru, what are the chances she won’t ever wake up?” 
Wake up?
Oh, so you were just asleep.
“Shut up, Sukuna,” another person quipped, this tone more leveled and coarser than the last. “Don’t say shit like that.”
The first person, who must be Sukuna then, chuckled lowly to himself. “Oh, who would’ve thought? Choso is having a soft spot?” he marveled with great interest, “Since when did you care so much about—”
But a third voice interrupted the banter. “She’s awake.”
After a long struggle, your eyes fluttered open to see a crowd gathered around you. Immediately beside you was Suguru Geto. He had been the one nestling your hand, but he practically didn’t look like himself with the concern etched into his brow, replacing the cheerfulness in his typical visage. Behind him stood Sukuna and Choso. The former grinned with fierce satisfaction, while the latter…scowled at you?
To be fair, Choso always scowled at you.
“Good evening, gorgeous.” Geto greeted with a melancholic smile, giving you another squeeze, firm and encouraging. Like a true gentleman, he helped you sit upright, his other hand reaching over your head to brush aside some stray strands by your forehead. “Are you feeling okay?” 
Exhaustion, meanwhile, rattled you to the bone.
You were weak, your movements fragile, almost like you were a fawn in her first hours of life. You blinked rapidly while taking in the new environment, only to quickly recognize the gray and cream colors in your surroundings. Back at Toji’s apartment was where you found yourself, with the familiar spiced floral scents from the flickering candle nearby confirming that this was the master bedroom. 
Given the dull throb by your temples, you frowned.
“What—?” your voice came out as a hoarse rasp. “What happened?”
The trio traded looks at each other with communicative eyes.
In the end, Choso tucked his hands into his front pocket and took the initiative to speak. 
“You were in the Zenin residence with Mai and Maki, remember?” No, not really.“Got into an argument with your husband. Started having a panic attack. Collapsed. Puked.”
Oh…
Recollections from your last conscious moments flooded your head like a tsunami: the screaming, the crying, and the fighting. Loud, angry, bitter fighting. 
Fighting for your dignity. Fighting for your heart. Fighting for your life. Goodness gracious. As much as the memories sucked all life from you, you instead felt completely…numb. 
After all, you had already been dead on the inside. You were too worn out, both physically and emotionally, to react. Everything that you had to go through since your wedding had brought you to your wit’s end, and this recent altercation with Naoya Zenin was truly the icing on the cake. 
When you caught sight of yourself in a nearby mirror, you could hardly recognize yourself. Your expression, glum. Your lips, chafed, Your face, pallor. Absent of any other color than an ashen hue. 
“How…did I get here?”
“Mai and Maki got worried and called Toji, who told them to bring you here,” Sukuna answered this time. “You’re lucky the girls reacted fast, else we would have sent you to an emergency room. Suguru even stopped his shift at his clinic to watch over you.”
“I—,” you sighed, lost for words and dropping your tired gaze to the floor. Dealing with inner turmoil to this degree was more than what any sane person could handle. All efforts towards your happiness were in vain anyway, as the cosmos conspired to make your existence one neverending nightmare. Everyone else had their ambitions and shit to deal with, but here you were as an absolute nuisance to the people who should not be otherwise pestered, and you were ashamed for the unnecessary trouble that you had caused. “Gosh, this is embarrassing.”
“We are so sorry!” 
Unexpectedly, the apology came from a girl’s voice, and you had to turn around to see three familiar teenagers by the bedroom door. 
Just last week, you would never have imagined ever seeing Mai, Maki, and Megumi together. Yet, here you were, watching the twins and their—technically speaking—nephew (cute) standing side-by-side, twiddling their thumbs in their nervous corner (also cute). 
Flustered and prepared for admonishment, Mai bowed her head at a slight angle as she hurriedly explained, “We don’t…We don’t mean to put you in an awkward position. We just didn’t know what to do. Maki and I were worried when you fell to the floor and started throwing up. We…We should’ve asked for your permission on who to call for help. But we didn’t know who else to phone, so we ended up dialing Toji. Now, we’ve put you in a weird spot and that is all our fault—”
“Do not apologize. That was the right thing to do.” The comment came from yet another person, and when Sukuna and Choso stepped to the side, who you saw at the room’s furthest end was none other than Toji Fushiguro himself. 
He had taken a seat all the way by the wall, with one leg thrust over the other in a relaxed but kingly sort of manner. With his sleeves rolled up, his forearms bled to his wrists with ink, and the emeralds in his sharp gaze gleamed as he stared pointedly in your direction. 
Of everyone in the room, his countenance appeared the most composed, but you could feelhim reading through the emotions present on your face. He inclined forward, resting his elbow on his knee and his chin on his palm. 
When he noticed the slightest shift in your posture too, the tiny scar by his lips flexed along with a smile.
“So, you’ve figured me out, hm?”
Easily, you could sense all seven pairs of eyes in the room (the four therapists plus the three teens) landing on you. The sudden attention rendered you nervous. Even if you chose silence as your response, the entire room, the entire planet, and perhaps even the entire galaxy could speculate your answer through your expression alone.
After a long while, you breathed out, “You didn’t tell me that you were a Zenin.”
The elephant in the room had to be addressed obviously, and you were not shy to confront the situation head-on.
While you did not intend to sound accusatory, your tone came off as such anyway. How could you not, when you had essentially been misled for weeks? Sure, Toji probably did not want to be badmouthing the Zenins to the very person (you) who had been recently married into the family. But, by withholding the fact that he and your husband were cousins, Toji had created much unnecessary anguish including the current limbo that your marriage was in right now. 
Meanwhile, that same man pressed his nails into his chin in contemplation. 
“I am not a Zenin, though,” he eventually corrected in a domineering voice, all austere in his throne. “At least, not any longer. I took my first wife’s last name years ago. I go by Fushiguro now.” Curt, direct, and pithy. Toji wasted not a syllable. “Everything worked out though, I guess. Naobito cut me off from the Zenin clan earlier this year. Gave me ten billion yen and told me to get lost, so I did.”
Toji always kept his private matters to himself, but with everything that he had gone through, you were struck by his poise, as if being expelled from such an influential household had been a high-school breakup he had gotten over long ago. 
Nonetheless, you wondered if he missed that other life, and you brought your knees toward your chest.
“So,” how should you put this, “you’re not upset?”
Toji scoffed immediately.
“Upset?” A bitter grin spread off his lips. “Why would I be upset? That household is a trash dump. All my life, there were no choices for me to make when my uncles and granduncles decided everything already,” and he began counting with his fingers, “my teachers, my classes, my extracurriculars, my friends. Everything. I was only a puppet to bring honor to the family name, bring in money for the company.”
Listening to his sonorous voice, you rested your cheek onto a knee.
"I see."
His story was depressing, and from conversations with in-laws such as Mai and Maki, you knew that he was not lying, either. Coming from nobility as well, you were also aware of the pressures that came with the people who boasted their 'old-money' statuses, but the Zenin household had always been notorious for being miserable. 
Toji had said so before in a prior discussion, how ‘family isn’t family for something like the Zenins’ because both politics and business took precedence.
Then, he went on.
“Some people would kill to have my problems, but I did not want that life, you know? Around the time I started college, I decided that I wanted to make judgments for myself and be my own distinct entity, but that made people upset. Privileged. Entitled. Ungrateful. Whatever. My family members called me many things as a young adult when they figured I did not want to be their pawn for my whole life, with the only person who understood me for many years being my best friend in university.”
Megumi’s mom.
Toji nearly appeared to be an altogether different person whenever he spoke about his first wife. The chartreuse in his eyes would stir with both sorrow and fond reminiscence as he thought about the Mrs. Fushiguro you would never get to meet, his closest confidant whom he lost to the cruel separation brought by life versus death. She must have been someone whom he valued a lot—a person who completely transformed him—as Toji had discarded his last name (which was Zenin, of all things) for hers.
‘He truly loved my mom,’ Megumi explained before. 'He had given up everything.’
Thus, fate could truly be unfair.
The loss and pain Toji must have endured, a topic Megumi had alluded to in his discussion with you before.
Not to mention, the expectations, frustration, and suffocation that came from the clan's elders, too. Experiencing the intense atmosphere in the Zenin household firsthand allowed you to empathize with him. Given the stark differences between him and your lawful husband, there was no wonder Toji did not wish to deal with his older relatives' high-strung conventions.
But, if he had been suffering so much… 
“Why did you care so much for what your family thought?” you asked, disregarding the look that the three teenagers by the door exchanged with each other. “Toji, you went to university in the United States. You had a wife and son at a young age. You went from a business background to a licensed therapist, so why did you not—”
“Leaving is difficult when you’re the family heir and the corporation’s CEO.” 
The expression that you then returned was blank.
Huh?
His words triggered something in your head, so you repeated after him.
“Leaving is difficult when,” and your voice trailed off, “when…you…are the heir and CEO.”
Heir. CEO.
Zenin.
Toji.
Naoya.
But Toji’s older.
‘Naoya got into a huge dispute with him earlier this year.’
Sheer realization slapped you hard across your face. No way.
“Toji,” you began after letting the revelation sink into you a while later, but your voice barely eeked above a mumble, “so you were once the successor to the Zenin household and company?"
The man in question did not respond, but the silent affirmation from the six other onlookers was an answer in itself.
Yes.
In hindsight, you wanted to say you had always seen the possibility. Still, you never fully registered this until now: the thoughtfulness in his strategy, the sophistication in his speech, the charisma in his leadership. 
Previously, Toji had impressed you with how much he knew about the Zenin Corporation’s market share in the Asia-Pacific or the firm’s outsized influence on the international stage. Yet, most (including yourself) would not guess that someone like Toji Fushiguro—your tattooed and brawny sex therapist (plus single dad)—had once been heralded as the indisputable inheritor to the proud lineage and conglomerate. 
That had been your mistake. 
Toji was more than what people made him out to be, which reminded you to never assume anything superficially about someone—a remark he had once made. For good reason, because he had been referring to himself all along.
You could almost visualize Toji Fushiguro as the seasoned executive he had once been in light of this new information: his black strands slicked into a side part, his charcoal blazer freshly pressed, his leather oxfords newly polished. 
Maybe because he was more mature or maybe because he was simply older, but Toji appeared more fitting for the important roles in the Zenin household compared to the man presently poised for succession. 
Consequently, you must also ask, “Then, how did Naoya end up in your seat?”
Sukuna and Megumi shared a glance.
Choso grimaced, and Suguru kissed his teeth.
Meanwhile, Toji ran a lone finger down his jaw, following the lines from a tattoo. 
“Let me give you some context, sweetheart,” he offered, now brushing his chin as he spoke. “For the last—let’s say—few hundred years, the oldest male in each generation became the leader in the Zenin clan. Is the rule stupid? Yes. Should there be more criteria in evaluating a potential heir aside from birth order? Also yes. But nothing has stopped this before because the Zenins, as you know by now, are a family built on antiquity and tradition. So, when I was born as the oldest male in my generation and Naoya had come in second place...” 
Toji did not have to finish his sentence for you to figure out the rest.
Despite the demands that came along with being the next family head, Toji must have been esteemed as nothing short of a crown price among the Japanese elite, with seniors in the Zenin household utilizing all their resources to prepare the once young and starry-eyed boy for taking over such an influential role. Naturally, his enviable position would spark jealousy, even from those whom Toji deemed related to by birth.
Including his very own younger first cousin.
Toji frowned in exasperation.
“Your husband is one childish and jealous brat, but Naoya Zenin has been like that for as long as I have known him. To claim the heir and CEO titles, he acquired the trust from myself and my colleagues by working with us in sex therapy, only to stab us all in the back. He’s a liar. A total manipulator.” 
And, from personal experiences, you knew that those words could not be more true.
At this point, Toji sank his handsome face into his immense palm. 
“Well, now Naoya Zenin has everything he wants but is still an incompetent asshole. The whole enterprise is hanging by a thread. The entire clan cannot fucking stand him. What’s crazy is that his father Naobito is not doing anything about this, and I cannot tell if that is because the old man is giving his son free passes or because he has finally gotten senile. With Naoya's pettiness, though, the father-son duo have done everything to erase my name from the family, even going as far as to dismiss the executives that I brought onto the management team to undo my legacy.” 
When Toji glanced up to cast his gaze forward, you then suddenly understood that the three other men in the room were more than just his fellow board-licensed colleagues.
You recalled Toji’s words in the Teyvat meeting room.
‘I recruited these guys right when they completed their undergraduate degrees, around the time I just opened my therapy office,’ and the puzzle pieces clicked into place from the realization that sex therapy had not been the only thing that Toji had worked with them on—Sukuna, Choso, and Suguru had been executives at the Zenin Corporation reporting to Toji, too. ‘We’ve been working together since, for the past four years.’
Discerning these revelations from your expressions, Toji added in confirmation.
“I had selected these three to oversee the Zenin Corporation’s operations with me,” he said, and you remembered the same conversation in which the men discussed their University of Tokyo studies while Toji listed their previous roles. Sukuna, Economics. “Sukuna, Director of Investments and Real Estate.” Choso, Mechanical Engineering. “Choso, Chief Engineer and Supply Chain Manager.” Suguru, Biology. “Suguru, Healthcare and Innovation Administrator.”
Arguably the most consequential divisions in a conglomerate that spanned numerous sectors, with each department bringing in yen by the billions every year.
‘These guys have treated me like family more than my blood-related kin have.’
Learning this about the four therapists added to your fascination. 
For you, the discovery was like uncovering a hidden treasure trove. To imagine everything that the four—as one cohesive unit—had gone through together at the top of the corporate ladder: scrutiny from the media and stakeholders, impromptu meetings that demanded make-or-break decisions, and immediate responses to industry trends and regulations. 
Only for them to be cast aside by no one other than your husband.
In the end, this all made sense.
Now, you understood why the therapists were once incredibly demeaning and belligerent toward you. How could they possibly sympathize with the woman married to the man who had taken virtually everything from them? 
Heck, if you were in their shoes and had no further context, you would hate yourself, too.
Only now were you hearing their perspectives, and you were grateful that—compared to several weeks before—they trusted you enough to open up. 
At last, all you could do was sigh and mutter, “I’m sorry.” 
“For what?” 
Sukuna shot back without hesitation, which stunned you given how he had been the one who mocked you the most. Yet, a scintilla of kindness flared in his fiery eyes, so you continued with your tone softer and quieter.
“I feel terrible.” Such vulnerability in front of so many people at once went beyond your comfort zone. “For the unfairness Naoya had brought upon you all, and how I…I can’t change anything. I can’t do anything. All I am is…useless.”
“No, you are powerful,” Suguru interjected this time. “Your husband relies on your public image to keep scrutiny off him. He needs you. He’s been demoralizing you for months because he knows the ball will always be in your court, and never his.”
His words made you stop.
“You truly think so?” you asked.
“Yes.” 
Choso, who replied, seemed honest. 
He was honest. 
He might throw you off from how aloof and stoic his attractive face would appear, but Choso was not a liar.
Bringing your feet off the bed, you slowly swung your feet. 
“I…am surprised you all even want to talk to me.” 
Toji tugged at his dress shirt’s collar and flashed his ink-covered muscles underneath. “What makes you think that?” 
His pointed question made you realize how much Naoya had been fucking with your mind, blaming and villainizing you at every chance, thus devolving you into a spineless worm feeling remorse for every little thing.
Shrugging, you tossed your gaze to the side. 
“I don’t know,” you admitted. “You could have avenged yourself by now. I am Naoya’s wife and Naobito’s daughter-in-law. There had been a thousand chances for you to do something horrible to me: to hurt me, blackmail me, spread dirty rumors about me, but…you haven’t.”  
“Why would I do that?” Toji replied instantly and candidly. Rather than appearing offended by your judgments, he started giving you that look again whenever he had his therapist hat on—the one where he would tilt his head at a slight angle to gauge the sentiments painted across your face. “I could have chosen to be bitter and vengeful for the rest of my life, but I am grateful for what I have. Why let a toxic bunch impact my life? I already told you how that household is an absolute fucking hell. I'm glad I have found an out. At the very least, my son would not have to deal with the crap from my young adult years because you know who is the oldest male in the generation after mine?”
Megumi. 
All gazes now fell upon the younger Fushiguro, who tried to casually shrug the attention off. 
Who cares if I was second-in-line to leading perhaps the most prestigious family in Japan? his nonchalance wanted to convey, but his ears turned pink anyway.  
Toji continued, “Then, of course, there are some people whom I care about a lot.” Using his head, he gestured to the twins. “These girls are the best aunts to my son that I, as a father, could ever ask for. They’re only one year older than Megumi, but Mai and Maki used to go on playdates with him on the weekends, walk him to school every morning, and cook him breakfasts over the holidays. The twins even helped my son take his first steps. There is this one photo we have in the library—I don’t know if you have gotten a chance before to see it. But there’s Mai and Maki, each holding one of Megumi’s little hands back in his chubby toddler days and—” 
“Dad!” a very flustered and irritated teenage boy finally had to say. “This is not the time to talk about that picture!” 
Next to him, a proud Mai and Maki coo and tease their grouchy nephew, poking at his puffed-up cheeks and ruffling his uncombed hair. 
“Aw, is someone a little embarrassed?”
Smiling at the little banter from the trio, Toji did not let them distract him from his conversation with you. “What I’m trying to get at is…life’s too short not to enjoy the happy sides of it,” but his eyes glazed with rue nevertheless, “Now is the perfect time to focus on your well-being. Take a look around this room. A lot of people want to see you leading a fulfilling life, Y/N. A fulfilling life for yourself, not for anyone else. Not for me, not for anyone in this room, and certainly not for your husband. Nothing—and I mean absolutely nothing—should hold you back from pursuing your health and happiness.” 
While you assumed that your best times were over, Toji reminded you those good days can be brought back with the right attitude. He had a point. Why should you allow your marriage to hinder you from connecting with people whom you care about, working towards the passions that brought you purpose, and feeling the love that you deserve? 
Instead, you should seek every sunrise and sunset as an opportunity to live better and without regrets.
As you ruminated on this different mindset, a sudden knock from the door cut your thoughts short.
Who…
Like you, most others looked around blankly, but Toji ordered from his seat, “Let him in.”
Mai, who stood closest to the entryway, obeyed. 
Once she unlocked the door, the room fell silent save for the footsteps of the man walking in, his soles creating soft echoes on the linoleum floor. Overhead, pale lights revealed the lines etched on his exhausted face, the worry that sat heavily on his chest. 
“Mister Daisuke,” someone eventually acknowledged out of respect.
Your father did not hear the greeting as he searched the room, his sullen gaze darting from face to face until he found you. His shoulders fell from his overwhelming relief. Still in a suit after a long workday, he stumbled forward feebly. 
“You’re alright,” he whispered between steps, scarcely audible. 
He crouched toward the floor once he approached you, and when Suguru transferred your hands into your father’s, you noticed the unstoppable quiver from the latter even as you gripped him tightly in an attempt to stop the tremor. 
His skin was tough, weathered by his additional decades in life. But, in his palms, you found the familiar tenderness that had comforted you since you were a little girl and, in his gaze, you noticed the sadness only found in the despair of a heartbroken parent.
“Thank goodness, you are okay,” and before everyone, tears slipped past his eyes, “I was terrified. I was so scared. When Toji called to tell me you had thrown up and collapsed, do you know how afraid I was?” 
You glanced over at the said therapist, reminding yourself that—if Toji had been the CEO before Naoya—he must have worked very closely with your COO father up until recently. For your father to know exactly where you were and walk in with this expression suggested that the former colleagues had had a lengthy conversation about your circumstances. A part of you wanted to be angry. Why drag your father into this worry? But a larger part of you had always wanted to reveal to him the wretched months that had gone by and longed for his support. 
And now, he was here.
The older man took a shuddering breath and brought his fingers to your cheek, holding and cradling you like he would never get to do this again. 
“I can’t lose you,” he lamented. “I have lost enough in my life already. I cannot lose you, too. I just can’t. Why have you not told me the truth? If you were not happy with Naoya, why have you not told me sooner? Did you think I would place my loyalty to the company over my own child? I feel so guilty and broken to hear about what you have been going through.”
Frankly, you felt just as broken, too. 
In fact, seeing and hearing your father weep like this shattered you. As devoted as your father was, his front never failed to be unwavering and strong. Even when your mother’s death left a significant hole in his heart, he bit back his grief. Scars from your mother’s untimely death scarred his heart, wounds that never healed and would stay with him until his last breath, but he rarely expressed his suppressed sorrow. 
All for your sake. Because you were his one and only daughter, his one and only child. 
So now, for him to see you in such a sorry state was crushing his whole world that had become you.
“Dad.” You helped him wipe his tears away, just like how he had always done for you. “I didn’t want to make you disappointed. I didn’t want to make you sad. I…I just wanted to protect you.”
“No,” he responded firmly. How could a loving father accept the possibility that his daughter would even think about placing him before herself? “Protect yourself first.”
You looked up when you sensed two more approaching individuals and found Mai and Maki with doleful smiles.
“We still have something to return to you, Y/N.”
In your left palm, each girl pressed one ring—the first which promised a future forever and the second which symbolized an infinite unity. 
You stared at the jewelry as your chest remembered the waves of happiness, excitement, hope, confusion, betrayal, and pain. 
So, so much pain.
Your father, who would not miss the solemn undertones in your gaze, squeezed your hands in his. 
“My dear daughter,” he started, and you could tell he could no longer bear to see you suffer any longer, “what are you planning to do?”
Your throat turned dry.
Any possibility seemed like a viable solution, a means for a desperate escape. 
For months, you should have prepared yourself for this very question, but now that you were confronted with this reality for the first time, you did not know what to say. 
You had clutched onto the false hope for your troubled marriage to be sorted out. Escaping your dreary matrimony had once been too far-fetched of an option given an impending cold war between your families, which you would never wish upon the stars to happen. Therefore, even as you found yourself stuck on a stifling dead end, you did not exactly prepare for the next steps for the occasion you found Naoya Zenin’s mistreatment too much to bear.
However, times have changed.
Your allies and enemies have changed.
Most of all, you have changed.
Therefore, with all the universe’s possibilities at your fingertips, one particular option stuck out. 
“I’m going to file for a divorce.”
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last chapter || next chapter
end notes: So many things. To see us freak out at the idea of a divorce during the beginning of the fic, up to now, where we suggested the option out of our volution. Also, the much-needed heart-to-heart conversation between Toji and us, and how that really shows a slow maturation in our relationship with him (and everyone else)! Let me know what you think, and see you next chapter!
taglist: @dissociatingdiva @httpsplanetmarsdotcom @nemoyr @huangfairy @shadowarchon @203steph @agentdedf1sh @cloudybabes @lynn-writes-things @illicitwriter @7oji @kikuchimi @chaoticjojofan @musicisme333 @kumocchin @s-guru @mwahilovemylife @hey-gurls69 @cloudsinthecosmos @moon-mumu-moon @kazscara @skilerfrostfairy @funicidals @nico707 @proteovaldez @tsukiyohanayome @marimoares @qirbys @puffaloxx @sakanoshitaa @arizzu @kissditrio @lewd-bunny14 @mistyheart @szired @supsii @yvy1s @tokyometronetwork @downtown-roponggi @the-cosmos-network
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sonysakura · 11 days ago
Note
can you give any sonadow recs?
Do you mean fanfiction?? I'll admit I haven't really been reading Sonic fics outside of friends' stories, friends' recs and for participation in random events since 2022 or so. But I think I can!
First, technically this also counts as rec lists: 🔸 short rec list I made for Just Leave a Comment Fest in April. It is 5 fics I picked out of everything I had read for that event; 🔸 my reblogs of Sonadow fics and fic promos/previews.
Tbh I've wanted to do a properly organised Sonadow fic rec list for a long time, would be cool to have a spreadsheet or maybe a separate page for it... One day. This is just a fraction of my favourites due to a Tumblr post being unable to fit more than 30 divider images 💫
Since there are no restrictions in your ask, I'm going to exclude graphic sexual content, ongoing and discontinued stories, Lansoni and other subships just in case! ☝ Some info about the stories is listed/changed at my own discretion. Mostly Ao3 (stories locked to it are marked with 🔒) with some FF.net thrown in – 29 Sonadow stories in alphabetical order, from small one-shots to huge multichapters.
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⚡ as the world burns by @ssolaris (Teen, No Warnings Apply, 19 314 words, 2/2 chapters) — Angst, Sci-Fi, Action
He's been drowning for a long time. And, somewhere along the way, he's forgotten how to breathe.
Apocalyptic future where Black Arms basically conquered the planet, and Eggman is still a threat, too, and there's deliciously heart-shattering Sonadow with Captain America: The Winter Soldier-like twist.
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🪴 Beyond a Promise by @moralitas (Teen, No Warnings Apply, 48 804 words, 10/10 chapters) — Slow Burn, PTSD/Trauma, Slice of Life
Shadow the Hedgehog has decidedly left the past behind, but his guilt still haunts him and intrudes on his life. This is how he comes to realize that living in itself, is much more than just survival and following old promises. Life has much more to throw at him that weird monsters and life threatening scenarios- there's also a pesky blue annoyance.
Still one of the most memorable endings to a story, that makes me randomly remember about it in the middle of doing everyday tasks and think about angsty what-ifs... Extra points for Shadow & G.U.N. interactions, I'm an enjoyer of occupational novels, and there's a bit of it there; many details of Sonic & Shadow interactions I loved, too. But most of all, amazing Shadow's characterisation and development arc 🙏
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🌀 bonded wind by @worksofyesterday [🔒] (Teen, No Warnings Apply, 10 421 words, 7/7 chapters) — AU: Soulmates
A swirl of white marks his ankle: Sonic has never given it much thought, except when Tails brings it up. If he meets this soulmate, he'll welcome them with open arms. If he doesn't? Well, it's too bad, but Sonic can live with that. ---- Shadow never wants to meet his soulmate. They will only ever be disappointed by him and the fact that he's only a monster in mobian skin.
Soulmate AUs are a rarity for this ship, and I love Soulmate AUs 💜 This one dives into the hedgehogs' in-AU backstories as well which is always interesting to read about!
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💋 careful what you wish for by @gregoftom (Gen, No Warnings Apply, 2 014 words) — Romance, Flirting, First Kiss
"H-hey Shadow, calm down, I j--" "What. The hell. Was that," "Uh... a kiss?" Sonic says, and his expression turns to that annoying sideways smirk, except his eyes convey something similar to fear, but not quite. Good, that's close enough. Shadow should be feared. Respected. Maybe this will teach Sonic something about the respect that Shadow commanded. "A kiss," Shadow repeats, eyes narrowing as crimson bores into grass green. "...Why?"
Sonic kisses Shadow out of nowhere... And if this is what could happen in canon, this is how it would happen. This is how they would react. With a slightly bittersweet aftertaste 🥺
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🌊 exposure therapy by @milkcartonkidd (Teen, No Warnings Apply, 3 523 words) — Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort
“Stop! I’m gonna die!” Sonic gasps, scrabbling for purchase at Shadow’s forearms, “I’m gonna drown, Shadow, you’re drowning me—” “Sonic,” Shadow sighs, “It’s waist deep. You’re standing.” Sonic looks down. He is, in fact, standing. “...Oh.” - Shadow tries to help Sonic get over his fear of water, with mixed results.
Amazing banter between them 🔥 Also claws & paws~
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🎆 Fireworks by LockedWings (Teen, No Warnings Apply, 433 words) — Romance, Fluff
Simple, short Sonadow fluff supposed to be for the New Years, takes place on the beach.
Dare I say, poetic... ✨
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📱 Hello & Goodbye by @arctic-sylvalum [series] (Teen, No Warnings Apply, 8 031 words, 2/2 works) — AU: Different First Meeting
In which Sonic is the gung-ho leader of the Freedom Fighters, and Shadow is a very serious agent of GUN. And then they meet.
I love the idea to pieces! ❤️‍🔥 Maaan, re-reading this now, this absolutely had huge influence on my Happy Endings..., I should really add the link to my Notes.
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🛁 Home by Spongeiticus (Teen, No Warnings Apply, 2 370 words) — Established Relationship, Romance, Fluff, Domestic
Sonic appreciates Shadow, and Shadow loves to be pampered.
One of the first fics I read when I returned to active fandom back in 2020! Many great quotes there!
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🌓 I turn to stone, when you are gone by Kotanny (Teen, No Warnings Apply, 984 words) — Angst, Hopeful Ending
Shadow escapes Infinite’s virtual reality only to find the world in pieces, all the while still grappling with the knowledge of Sonic's death.
A chilling study of Shadow's mind during Forces with melancholic Sonadow references...
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🛏 I'm Here by @gerudo-mask-replica (Gen, No Warnings Apply, 4 411 words, 3/3 chapters) — Angst, Fluff, Trauma, Comfort, Sharing a Bed
The night after Sonic and friends return from the Starfall Islands, he finds himself outside Shadow's bedroom window. He doesn't really know why. Or so he tells himself.
A post-Frontiers story, descriptive in a great way... Sonic and Shadow share beds, books and conversations 🤭 Very soft and gentle!!
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🫂 Inadequate by Kotanny (Teen, No Warnings Apply, 3 626 words) — Established Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Self-Esteem Issues
Shadow has been struggling with his worth lately and Sonic is there to remind him how valuable he is. ___________________ “Pff, right…” he mumbles quietly, and it seems it has been a mistake or a blessing, because Sonic decides to capture his lips again; an involuntary purr escapes Shadow’s mouth. “My ultimate life form” Another kiss."The best of the best–.” And another– Sonic giggles mischievously as his face turns beet red; his black ears flatten against his head, overwhelmed by the compliments. “S-stop saying that.” “Stop saying what?” Sonic leans to Shadow very close, too close. “That you are perfect?–” Oh, God.
Wounded pride and Shadow not being able to keep up with his own expectations – stars, this fic resonated with me so much 😭 Sonic is being a perfect supportive partner in there, coming up with so many great pet names!
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💥 It has come to this by @arctic-sylvalum (Mature, Major Character Death, 23 385 words, 9/9 chapters) — AU: Sonic Adventure 2, Angst, Adventure, Grief/Mourning, Codependency
“I will never let you die,” Sonic vows. Where once he smiled and grinned he is now only dead-serious steel. “I will keep saving you again and again, if that’s what it takes. If this Black Doom character tries to mess with your mind and tear you apart, I will destroy him.” He’s still clinging onto Shadow. “I will."
An AU of SA2 where the ARK did crash into the planet and destroyed it, no survivors except for Sonic and Shadow. It is depressing and heavy, and it's fucking fantastic. So worth a read. M-rated "for Mass Character Death" as stated in the tags 🥲
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💓 Judge my sins, not my feelings by yellothebeeloved (Mature, No Warnings Apply, 228 479 words, 22/22 chapters) — Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Manipulation, Possession/Sharing a Body, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn
Maybe he's not meant to touch. It's the newest excuse he thought of in hopes that he could prolong the game a little more; a careful ruse to enjoy the bittersweet torture of seeing the days pass them by, while he pretends he doesn't seek azure blue whenever he's restless. At first, all he wanted to do was watch: but now the desire to touch, to have, to affect is at a point where he's not sure whether reaching for Sonic would truly be fruitless. He wonders that especially when Sonic's eyes light up upon seeing him. When he corners Shadow, when he invades his space and he touches and takes and then excuses it by calling it a fight. Shadow truly wonders then: if only he was brave enough to reach out, what would his grip find? Loose stars or a battle-worn body? Standing up, he glances at Sonic again, whose eyes have now met his own. There's something heavy in the eye contact, something Shadow doesn't dare name. Neither of them say anything, and yet Sonic's eyes move away from him again, like they did. Shadow warps away, hiding from the stars once more.
M-rated for sexual tension and general horniness! So much UST, guys... Sonic and Shadow's dynamics is so special here, with both of them being aro as well. There's so much queer intimacy that I just can't explain the vibe of, just that it's special. The plot is so suspenseful and full of intrigue – I was running to read every update when this story was ongoing. It all starts with Shadow losing his body to some entity, and no one knows that it happened...
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🧬 Misstep by Tirainy (Mature, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, 17 775 words, 2/2 chapters) — Established Relationship, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Depression/Trauma, Amputation, Suicide Attempt, Unhealthy Relationships, Happy Ending
What does it take to bring down a hero? A single wrong step, apparently. What does it take to build one back up? That Shadow does not know, yet.
M-rated for all that stuff in the tags obviously. It is heavy. One of my favourite Tirainy's stories, though I enjoy many of them 🙏
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🪥 Moments by TheGuardianKnux (Gen, No Warnings Apply, 1 833 words) — Romance, Humor, Domestic
Sonic and Shadow weren't like other couples. A bit outside the box. But with a look at a few moments in their relationship, maybe then people can see just how much they shine together.
So domestic!! 😭 And just the right amount... This story is in a rare balance of them complimenting and pushing each other.
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🌸 Petals by Tirainy (Gen, No Warnings Apply, 2 413 words) — Romance, Angst, Hanahaki Disease
One day Sonic wakes up coughing out flowers. It probably says a lot about his life when he does not start panicking immediately.
The first ever hanahaki fic for this ship on Ao3, and it has a pretty unusual twist, too! I re-read this one sometimes, really like the flower imagery in particular.
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📕 shadow’s fairy tale by @wubbowrites (Teen, No Warnings Apply, 10 989 words, 3/3 chapters) — Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Crushes/Pre-relationship, Falling In Love, Slice of Life, Homophobia/LGBTQIA+ Themes, Chatting & Messaging, Christmas
While being dragged on a Christmas shopping trip, Shadow spots a familiar storybook in a store window. A particular memory hits him.
Truly a Christmas fairy tale for Shadow with beautiful writing, great pacing and a pinch of very specific sort of angst. Soft and warm in the end...
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🩹 Shatterproof by @arctic-sylvalum (Teen, No Warnings Apply, 3 332 words) — Romance
Shadow didn't make a big deal of it at all, so Sonic tries to drop it too. Unfortunately being a reckless adventure-seeking teenager who doesn't care about dangers unless others get involved, makes Shadow's latest trick seem really cool. Fascinating, let's stick with that. Sonic gets kinda stuck on the idea of Shadow being immortal.
Sonic discovers Shadow's immortality while Shadow realises the implications of his own immortality on his relationships 🥺 Beautiful fic... Also there's Shadow hanging out with everyone which is cool!
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💤 Sleep Paralysis by IsdR2017 (Teen, No Warnings Apply, 913 words) — Romance, Suspense
Dreaming during sleep paralysis is a scary thing.
A curious little story where Sonic has a nightmare about something he isn't supposed to remember... Mostly it's just relatable for me lol
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💅 solace by @quillifer (Mature, No Warnings Apply, 6 000 words) — Fluff, Gradual Relationship, Friends to Lovers
When Shadow offhandedly invites Sonic to hang out with him, he doesn't expect it to become a regular thing. He also doesn't expect to see Sonic letting down some of his barriers, shedding his bravado, and going running with him in silence, but it soon becomes the new normal. And maybe—it's a big maybe—Shadow is getting used to having Sonic to himself.
Claws & paws! CLAWS & PAWS! Very important! Just the right amount of angst and earning/pining/longing, too... A perfect Sonadow fic. M-rated for being suggestive/mentions of sex!
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💬 stay by @ssolaris (Teen, No Warnings Apply, 6 816 words) — Romance, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort
Five times Shadow lied - and one time he didn't.
A Shadow centric 5+1 spanning over a long time and touching upon SA2, '06 and Forces plot points. Shadow's characterisation is on point ✨👌
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🌟 Symphony by @whitejungle (Teen, No Warnings Apply, 693 words) — Romance
An AU(ish) take on a moment in the last story from Shadow’s perspective.
A moment in Sonic '06 when they go Super... but slightly different in the softest and heart-clenching way 💓
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💍 Tension by Monovailable (Teen, No Warnings Apply, 3 511 words) — AU: High School/Future, Outsider POV
Mr. Robotnik was probably the most infamous teacher at the school. The man never seemed to have a smile on his face - Ian doesn't even think he knows how to. He was strict, and punishing, and most of the students tended to have opinions on him ranging from neutral to downright terrible. If you were quiet and got your work done, he was okay. If you were anything else, the man could probably put you in an early grave with the force of the glares he'd give sometimes. All in all, Mr. Robotnik and Mr. Maurice were about as opposite as you could get. Where Mr. Robotnik was all grumpy faces and eternal anger, Mr. Maurice was bright and energetic - rarely seen without a smile on his face, and always in a good mood. Which is why it was so odd that not only did Mr. Maurice willingly choose to spend his free time sitting in with Mr. Robotnik, but that there seemed to be an ungodly amount of capital T /Tension/ between the two.
This is just absolutely ✨perfect✨👌 Like, "written for me" perfect. Relatable, same headcanons, my fav tropes, etc. In the story Sonic and Shadow work as high school teachers in the future, and their students feel this tension between them… OC-centric!
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🎤 Those Eight Letters by GuardianDragon98 (Teen, No Warnings Apply, 3 144 words) — Romance, Angst, Songfic
Shadow had to agree with Rouge. The song was written with guys like him in mind. Shadow's having a hard time expressing his feelings for a certain speedy blue hedgehog and Rouge is the best wing-woman ever.
One of these fics that stuck in my memory 🙏 Sometimes a confession... doesn't lead to a happy scene.
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❤️‍🔥 till we touch the sun by @ssolaris (Teen, Major Character Death, 159 110 words, 26/26 chapters) — AU: Sonic Forces, Adventure, Angst
He never thought everything could fall apart quite like this.
I was reading this one as it was coming out, and I want to re-read now... It was another one of those fics I'd drop everything to read an update for... A lot of things go very wrong, so be prepared for it to be heavy, but the Sonadow is really up my alley here, and there's Knuxamy, too... and an awesome characterisation+lore for Gadget with past Infidget... so many characters and all of them are written so well. Guys, this fic is iconic.
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🏫 to falter, to fall by @quillifer (Mature, No Warnings Apply, 8 172 words) — AU: High School, Rivals to Lovers
Sonic and Shadow's rivalry is a hot topic among their peers, but when their counselor decides that enough's enough, they have to suffer through their punishments together or face the consequences. In order to bury the hatchet for good, they have to try to understand each other, and along the way, they discover that pure hatred isn't what's been fueling their fights after all.
Same as solace, M-rated for being slightly suggestive I believe 👍 Fantastic dynamics between the hedgehogs here, immaculate vibes, and this also has a side of Rougikal (+Knuxouge) and I have been enlightened ever since...
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💝 Valentines Confession by Burning Underground (Gen, No Warnings Apply, 1 139 words) — Romance, Humor
When a blue hedgehog runs into you on Valentine's Day, you just have to roll with it.
It is so silly!!
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☕ We never met but can we have a cup of coffee or something? by @whitejungle (Teen, Major Character Death, 3 630 words) — Angst, Trauma/PTSD
It's been almost two months since Sonic lost someone he didn't even know, but he can't stop thinking about it.
Everyone must already know this story (unless you're very new) and its spiritual sequel singularity (which is ongoing, so I'm not listing it here, but I couldn't not make a mention of it anyway 🫶). annuska's fics in general are wonderful, and it was difficult to choose my absolute favs to showcase!
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🟦 Your Favorite Color by @supershadsy (Teen, No Warnings Apply, 3 391 words) — Comfort
A typical day of training takes a turn down memory lane when Sonic and Shadow discover relics from the Space Colony ARK in the depths of GUN HQ.
Sonic and Shadow hanging out through sadness and silliness ❤️‍🩹 A beautifully written story that I feel is probably one of those that influenced my own way of writing Shadow's relationship with the past...
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That's it for now! Send me another ask for more recs or with a specific request for stuff I excluded (subships, sexual content, etc.)! This was fun to put together ✨
To the authors who were mentioned: PM me if you want me to unmention you. I asked some people if they're okay with being mentioned, but not all of you... Stars divider by @enchanthings.
49 notes · View notes
sarahowritesostucky · 9 months ago
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📖"Temporary Custody"
Rating: Explicit
Pairing: Steve x ofc x Bucky; Steve x Bucky
Word Count: 3720
Tags: Dom/sub, bdsm au, dom Bucky, sub reader, hurt/comfort, enemies to lovers, gay sex'n'stuff, straight sex'n'stuff, Steve being a literal Golden Retriever, mental health issues, dub-con, forced submission, referenced childhood abuse and resultant mental health issues, bakery au, m/f/m, gentle domination, total power exchange
Summary: The stigma and shame of being a submissive has kept Mary unfulfilled and in the closet her whole life, until an inciting incident leads to Bucky and Steve taking her in and giving her everything she was always too afraid to ask for.
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Trigger warnings: This story contains themes of eating disordered behavior, body image issues, childhood abuse, self-harm, and alcohol abuse.
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Wait! I haven't read an earlier chapter of this fic! Story Masterpost
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4. Cake Doughnuts (shitty non-doughnuts)
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This is not the way Mary expected her life to go. Divorced at 29, probably unemployed, and now declared mentally incompetent and legally attached to some stranger? Ew.
At least when the cops had dragged her into the ER, she’d been drunk still. But she’s sobered up a lot since then, and ever more so during the drive from the hospital to back to Brooklyn. It’s the most awkward car ride of her life. Steve’s the one who drives. Mary doesn’t know why that surprises her, but it does. And he’s the one who leads the way into their building and up the stairs. It’s an older building with character but no elevator, so they make the three story climb on foot. Another resounding Ew.
Mary walks silently around Bucky’s (and Steve’s—because of course he’s gay and married) apartment, feeling shy and hesitant and all the things she just really doesn’t want to be feeling right now. She stops when she gets to the second bedroom, stares at its pristinely tucked-in sheets and neutral tableau.
“You can bring over any stuff you need from your place,” Steve is saying gently from behind her, where he and Bucky are lingering in the hallway. “It’ll be your room. We won’t bother you in there.”
She whips around. “How long do I have to stay here?” Better to figure it out now. Make a plan. She glares at Bucky, since he’s the one in charge of this disaster. “I’m not staying here forever.” Steve looks even sadder at her words than Bucky does, kind of like a kicked puppy. It’s disconcerting, so Mary keeps her attention on Bucky instead, forcing herself to make eye contact. “Well?”
“Until I feel like it’s safe and healthy for you to be on your own,” he says, not a hint of sympathy in his tone. That’s disappointing, and it pisses Mary the hell off.
“Screw you,” she says, not particularly loudly, but definitely full of all the contempt she feels for this guy. “You think you can just—”
He’s got her pushed up against the wall faster than she can track with her eyes. One second she’s standing feet away from him, and the next she just … isn’t. He’s in her space and against her body, one hand at the base of her throat and a thigh pressing forward, holding her to the wall. It’s terrifying and shocking and …
“Oh I know ‘I can just’,” he says darkly.
… She’d rather eat glass than tell him what else it is. “Let go of me,” she grits out.
Disappointingly, he does. Steve is just standing there like a big idiot, blinking wide eyes at the scene. Bucky takes a full step back from her and says, “Don’t curse at me, Mary. It’s disrespectful.”
She wants to ask him exactly what he’s done to earn any respect from her. She grinds the words into her teeth instead while Bucky watches her knowingly. She hates that look almost as much as she hates the way he says her name, as if he’s known her for years rather than a millisecond.
“House rules,” he says calmly. “The practicalities of what’s going to happen. We should discuss that, don’t you think?”
Steve places a hand on Bucky’s shoulder, comes up beside him and wraps an arm around his waist in a way that reminds Mary that the two are a couple. “Hey,” he says softly, speaking in Bucky’s ear. “Why don’t we let her get some rest before you go asserting your dominance, huh?” Mary wrinkles her nose at the word, and Steve regards her kindly. “You’ve gotta be tired,” he says. “You want to sleep?”
Bucky looks like he’ll protest, so Mary nods quickly. “Yeah. Yeah I’m tired.”
She watches as Steve squeezes his husband’s shoulder. “Come on, Babe. Let’s leave her to get some rest. She’s been up all night.”
Suddenly, Mary realizes that she has been up all night, and it’s almost comical, how fast the exhaustion hits her. Her throat starts to ache with a yawn that she fights not to let out in front of them. “Yeah,” she says again, this time thinking less about Bucky and what he wants or doesn’t want, and more about the bed that Steve said was reserved for her. She remembers that she feels like absolute shit, and probably looks it, too. “M’gonna sleep,” she says, turning away from both of them and heading for the bed.
The door ‘snicks’ shut softly behind her, and she assumes it was Steve who closed it. The two men's muffled voices fade off down the hallway, and even though it’s probably naïve to trust them so easily, Mary believes what Steve said about them not bothering her in this room.
She collapses on the bed that is exactly as soft as it looks. The sheets are tucked with military precision and smell like no one’s ever used them before. Mary grinds her face into the cool pillows and briefly wonders if Steve and Bucky have never had any company over to use this bed, before falling into one of the deadest sleeps of her life.
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She wakes up feeling much, much better. Steve and Bucky’s guest bedroom has an en-suite, so she goes in and does her best to freshen up with the toiletries she finds stocked there.
There are three Advil Liqui-gel capsules sitting on the bedside table when she comes out. Mary regards them sharply and glances back to the door, but it’s still closed, no sign of life heard from outside in the hallway. Either the pills were there earlier and she just didn’t notice them, or else Steve is a lot stealthier than he looks. Twisting her lips, she scoops the pills up and tosses them back to fend off the headache she can already feel brewing behind her temples. 
A quick search of the room’s dresser drawers yields nothing, and she’s forced to face the fact that she’s going to have to do this confrontation dressed in only her huge tee shirt from the night before. No matter, she thinks, squaring her shoulders and reaching for the doorknob. She’s got a new strategy in mind.
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“I’m sorry,” she says, when she ventures out to find Bucky and Steve sitting in the living room.
Steve reaches for the remote to mute the tv, and Bucky sits back with a doughnut that he’s just plucked from a box on the coffee table. He bites into it, looking only vaguely interested "Want one?"
She spares a glance at the box. "Are they yeasted?"
"What's that mean?" Steve asks.
Another glance reveals that they're not, and Mary turns her nose up at them. "It means you're eating shitty, overbaked cake, not a doughnut," she says snottily.
Steve just blinks and looks back at the box with a little frown. Bucky takes another huge bite of his doughnut and chews it, maintaining eye contact with her and speaking around his mouthful, "Weren't you sorry for something?"
Mary purses her lips and starts over with her contrition act. “Yes. Look, I know you guys are just trying to help me. And I know I probably seem like such a hot mess to you right now.”
“Cause you are,” Bucky drawls.
Mary quells the urge to go over there and slap the doughnut straight out of his hands. That won’t help her with this new strategy she’s decided on. ‘Honey versus vinegar’, and all that. “Yeah,” she says instead. “So I’ll admit, my life hasn’t been going very well lately. And I really did need some help.” She forces herself to give Bucky a friendly smile. “So I’m glad you were willing to step in and help me. Thank you.” Bucky is looking at her way, way too unimpressed, and Mary squirms in place, thinking that he should be looking happier at what she’s just said. “Well?” she says.
He chews another bite of doughnut for a solid five seconds, swallows, then says, “How much did it hurt you to spit that out?”
She scowls. “I was trying to be nice.”
“Mm hm.” He pats the couch beside himself in a clear invitation. “Come sit down. Have a doughnut.”
She’s obeying before she even thinks about it, though at least she has the sense to take a seat on Steve’s side of the L-shaped sectional, and not Bucky’s. “I’m not hungry,” she says, just as her stomach gives a small growl.
“Well clearly that’s a lie,” Steve chuckles. 
Mary glances over at him, peeved, but decidedly less so than she is at Bucky. Steve just seems less … threatening, maybe. Whatever it is, Mary pushes it from her mind.
“Look, I’ll stick around for a few hours or something if you really want to make sure I’m okay,” she says, attention back on Bucky, because she can already tell that he’s the one she’s got to convince. “But then I have to get back to my apartment.” She sees Bucky’s expression shutter at this and quickly adds, “I understand that you’re responsible for me, temporarily, technically. And I appreciate what you’ve done. I don’t want to cause you guys any more trouble than I already have. I’m going to take steps to take better care of myself now. And we can … we can keep in touch if you want. Just so you don’t ... you know … worry.” By the end of her speech she’s lost confidence, as she can see from Bucky’s expression that this is not being received well.
"Is that all?" he asks, eyebrow arched.
“Bucky,” she complains, floundering. “Come on. This isn’t … I mean you can’t just, adopt me, or whatever. I’m not some stray dog. You don’t even know me!"
He nods. “Yeah, you’re right. I don’t.”
For one brief, overly-optimistic moment, she thinks that she’s actually going to get out of it that easy.
“But I’ll get to know you. Because you’re not leaving here anytime soon, Honey.”
All of that optimism tanks straight into a sour pit of disappointment. Mary shoots up to standing, startling Steve a bit where he's reaching for the doughnut box. “Don’t call me that,” she snaps.
Bucky takes another smug fucking bite out of his doughnut. “What?” he asks. “‘Honey’?”
“Yes! I’m not your ‘Honey’. I’m not your anything.”
He licks the sugar off his lips and stares her down. “You like it when I call you that.”
“No, I hate it,” she sneers. “Just like I hate your smug, self-satisfied face. I hate men like you.”
Bucky relaxes further back into the sofa, gesturing at her with the last of the doughnut before he stuffs it in his mouth and eats it. “Men like me, huh?” he asks once he’s swallowed, infuriating in his nonchalance. 
“Yes.”
He chuckles and starts sucking his fingers clean one by one. “And what would that be?” he drawls, letting his legs splay wide on the couch cushions, thigh muscles straining against the denim of his jeans. He sees her getting distracted and hums. “Hm? Pray tell, Little girl. Do enlighten me. What are 'men like me' like?” 
For one, airless second, all Mary wants in the world is to drop to her knees right between his legs, put her face at the seam of his jeans and rub her cheek against his thigh, against his … 
Her thoughts go unfocused, fuzzy at the edges, static in her brain. She licks her lips absentmindedly, unable to tear her eyes away from the sight of how he’s positioned himself …
“Mary.”
The sound of her own name draws her out of it, like a slap. She meets his eyes and juts her chin out, half dizzy from the effort. “Men like you think they know everything,” she grits. “Think that they’re the end-all-be-all. Men like you don’t feel any compunction about stepping on everyone around them. Men like you think you’re so fucking smart, that you can’t even fathom the likely alternative.”
“And what would that be?”
“That you’re actually just a cocksure moron,” she hisses.
Bucky tips his head at Steve. “Stevie tells me I’m a moron every other Tuesday, don’t you Babe?”
Steve shrugs a little from where he's leaning forward, holding the lid of the doughnut box open while he tries to choose a flavor. “Well, yeah.”
Bucky smirks, so unaffected that Mary just wants to scream. “So," he says. "You ‘hate men like me’, huh?”
“Yes. I do."
“That’s why you’ve spent your whole life around them, then?”
“I …" She falters. "What?”
Bucky glances over to Steve, and the two of them have some sort of silent exchange overtop the lid of the doughnut box, wordlessly communicating in a way that evidences a years’ long relationship. When they both look back to her, it’s Steve who speaks first.
“We got to read up on you a little, while you were asleep,” he says. He nods to the laptop and packet of papers on the coffee table. “Did some research. Learned about what led up to this.”
“'This'? What are you talking about?”
“You’ve been under the control of domineering men your entire life,” Bucky says, interjecting more forcefully over Steve’s gentler tone—Mary feels like she’s getting whiplash between the two of them. “First it was your father, out in Bumfuck, Nowhereville,”
“Indiana,” Steve mutters.
“Whatever,” Bucky snaps, zeroing back in on Mary with glinting eyes. “And he was ‘that sort of man’, wasn’t he?”
Mary feels a little like she’s been punched in the gut. “So what?” she says. “So you looked me up? Hospital gave you info on me and now you think you know me? You don’t know shit.”
“Your whole life, he said jump and you said how high, right?” Bucky asks, clearly not wanting or needing an answer to the question. Maybe Mary’s expression is answer enough. She’s not quite sure what she must look like right now. Horrified maybe. Or furious. “And then you latched onto the first jerk who’d give you a ride out of town.”
“Shut up.”
“Married him, too. And that worked for you alright ... Until it didn’t.”’
The backs of her eyes are starting to feel hot. “I said: shut up,” she whispers.
Bucky nods and leans forward on the couch, as if her anger and humiliation mean nothing to him. And damn him, maybe they don’t. Maybe he likes this, the sick bastard. “If he hadn’t hit you so bad, you would’ve stayed. Right? He met your needs in every other way.”
Mary shudders. “What are you talking about?”
"I'm talking about self-medicating, Honey. It's what you've been doing. Probably since you were a little girl."
She's disgusted with herself for the tears that break through, unmoored by how Bucky knows all of these things about her, and that he's able to fill in the gaps so easily. “What the hell is your problem, huh?” She swipes angrily at her eyes. “What does any of that have to do with anything? Except for that it’s none of your goddamn business?!”
Bucky softens a little. He glances at Steve, who gives him a warning look. “Sweetheart,” he says, looking back at Mary plaintively. “The drinking and the cutting, the feeling miserable and being sad all the time; that all started after your divorce, yeah?”
That … is not what Mary expected him to say. She’d been expecting more insults, more heartless jabs at her past. “I … What?”
“Answer the question,” Steve urges gently. He looks like he’s in on some secret with Bucky, something only Mary doesn’t know. 
“Yeah,” she admits warily. “I mean, divorce is … well it’s divorce. It sucks. Of course I wasn’t happy about it.” She scowls and crosses her arms. “What’s your point?”
“My point is that, dysfunctional as they were, you had very specific relationships with very specific types of men, until what, like a year ago?”
“... Year and a half,” she mutters, unease creeping up her spine at where she thinks this is going.
“Right. And that’s when all your troubles started. Because let's be real: you weren't hurting yourself before then." He tilts his head, feigning curiosity. "Why do you think that is, Mary? Why weren't you falling apart before? When you had a father touching you wrong, or a husband putting holes in your drywall?"
"Stop," she breathes.
He nods sadly. "It was was after, when you didn’t have those people in your life anymore, structuring it, telling you what to do. Once you were alone, that’s when you started to fall apart.” He levels her with a pitying gaze. "Now why do you think that is?"
Oh, hell no. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Mary says. She actually takes a physical step back from where she’s standing. “You think what? I was using my douche ex-husband as some sort of a … a dom? My freaking father?!”
“Mary, calm down.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down!” She jabs her finger at Steve, who’s spoken. If she thought she’d been angry at these two before, well now she’s just … she’s just … “You’re fucked up,” she tells them, voice full of quiet fury. “And you,” she points at Bucky. “You might be diagnosed with some freaking mental disorder or whatever, but that doesn’t give you the right to put that fucked up psychology onto everyone else!” She jabs her thumb at her own chest. “I’m normal! I’m not like you. I don't–I don’t have …”
“Mary,”
“No! I don’t. I–I didn’t …” Vaguely, she starts to recognize that her pulse is pounding in her ears, that it’s getting harder to draw breaths. “My f-fa, my, my f-father…”
Bucky stands up and comes towards her. “Mary,”
“No!” She makes to push away, to leave the room, but he closes in too fast and before she knows it, he has one hand on her throat and one at the base of her skull, gripping her hair. And it’s not mean, the way he’s holding her, but when she jerks away it tugs her hair unpleasantly and she whines and stills. “Let go,” she gasps, terrified by the way his hands make her feel.
“Steve, a little help?”
Her heart lurches as she hears Steve move, sees him getting up off the couch and coming over. “Wait,” she whispers, afraid and not understanding why. Not understanding why she’s even whispering in the first place, instead of screaming like she should be. “No, wait, wait—”
Steve is behind her, and even though he’s hardly even doing anything, just has his hands resting on her lightly, Mary still feels a tremor run through her whole body. She feels so trapped. Fixed in place and terrified, but not because she thinks they’ll hurt her.
Because suddenly she can draw a deep breath again.
And she can see the look in Bucky’s eyes, can see how he knows that. “Please,” she whispers, closing her eyes when tears well to the surface. “Please, just, I just need to …”
“You’re okay,” Bucky soothes. “You’re okay, Mary. Just breathe against my hand. Breath against me, against Steve.”
She shakes her head, even though she knows what he means. With her eyes squeezed shut like this, she can feel both him and Steve so solidly, can feel the points where their bodies connect with hers. When she inhales, she feels them there. “What the hell?” she winds up whispering, more to herself than to them.
“You were starting to have a panic attack,” Steve murmurs. He hugs her from behind, and Mary shivers but doesn’t try to shrug him off.
“I don’t have those,” she says. Even to her own ears, it sounds weak. “I don’t,” she insists.
“First time for everything,” Bucky says.
They stand there for a long minute or two. Hell, maybe it’s more. As long as Mary keeps her eyes shut, she can at least pretend that it’s only a minute. It’s only once she opens her eyes that she has to face reality. When she does, she sees that Bucky’s watching her keenly. He looks … sad.
The thought that the man with one hand fisted in her hair and another wrapped around her throat is concerned for her strikes Mary as almost comical. She doesn’t laugh, but she also doesn’t feel close to crying anymore. “I’m okay,” she rasps, swallowing thickly. “I’m okay now.” Shaky maybe, but better. She can breathe again. “Really, I–I am.”
“Yeah?”
She nods, and the motion makes her all the more aware of his hand on her throat. She has to fight back a pleasured sigh at the feeling of it, fight to keep her eyes from fluttering closed. 
Bucky shifts in, sandwiching her even closer between their bodies. “So what?” he murmurs. “You want me to let go of you now?”
“Yeah,” she says, not feeling like she wants that at all. “Please.”
He hums. “You’re very good at saying ‘please’,” he observes. “And at telling me you’re not submissive.”
“M���not,” she insists, trying harder to make her voice firm, or at least more than a pathetic, breathy whimper. She looks him in the eyes again.
When had she stopped looking him in the eyes? She can’t remember. She feels like she’s watching this all happen through the lightest sort of fog, or maybe in slow motion, like a videotape playing at only 70% speed. Something like that, she thinks dazedly. She doesn’t feel like she has to worry about it, though. It's warm and heavy and nice here; like being under bathwater.
Bucky’s not looking at her in concern anymore. He looks more relaxed now, nicer, his eyes softer around the edges. And he hasn't let go of her, either. 
“She down?” 
That’s Steve’s voice, coming from right behind. Mary likes the way she can feel the quiet rumble of it where he’s pressed to her back.
“Mmhm. Waay down.” 
“Is it normally that easy?”
Bucky chuckles, it's a nice sound that Mary likes, the richness of it making her want more, like how chocolate makes you want more.
“No, it’s not. This is deprivation, right here. Poor thing.” 
“Is she gonna be okay?”
“Oh, sure. We’ll just stay like this for a minute. She needs the contact."
Something about the two of them talking about her like she’s not there is … well it multiplies the bathwater feeling. She hears Steve asking a question, and Bucky making an unhappy noise and answering,
“It should never be this easy. Right now she’d go down for anyone, for even the smallest thing.”
“And she was working in the service industry?” A huff of breath hits Mary’s ear. “Jesus.”
“... Hey,” Mary says, sure that she should protest somehow.
But Bucky’s hand tightens just the barest bit on her throat, and he shushes her sweetly, tells her she’s a “good girl,” and kisses the top of her head.
And Mary pretty much forgets what she was going to say, after that.
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noroi1000 · 1 year ago
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❝𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐮-𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐢❞ Chapter 01
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Satoru-Sensei | Next Chapter →
Summary: Gojo-sensei tells you that you are his. That you will always be together. Only with him. That he loves you. That you are his girlfriend. Only him and no one else. That he won't let you walk away from him. That he would never let anyone take him from him. Because he loves you and wants to spend his life with you. Your morning is as nice as your whole life.
A/n: There will be 20 chapters and epilogue.Gojo is a gentle yandere here who cares about the reader. Don't want then don't read!
Warnings in story:
Soft Yandere
teacher/ex-student relationship
Age difference (reader is 18, Gojo is 29)
NSFW (in one chapter)
fake death
Mistakes in chapters
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Some say you have to look for happiness. Others say that happiness will come to you by itself.
How was your case?
Both became.
You were looking for happiness in life. That's why you decided to go to Jujutsu high. Because you hoped to find something there that you didn't have before.
And there you found someone very important to you. He himself came to you. Your happiness.
Part of the fact that your happiness is with you now came even earlier. When you were born with the Jujutsu technique that allowed you to live as a sorcerer from the beginning.
The door to happiness has opened for you.
And you just followed what fate gave you. Even though you were looking for happiness, you were looking for it among the opportunities that the moments presented to you.
You were looking for your happiness as much as you got it.
Everything that happened made sense. All the pain of your technique. That you're quiet and shy. It all made sense to get the happiness you wanted.
It all allowed you to get so close to one person… If your technique was different, you couldn't be so close to him.
If your character had been different, you would have failed as well. Even though you didn't try hard to win his love at first.
It came with time. As he got closer. When he was so sweet to you. It was the best feeling you've ever felt. With him you would never feel rejected. And when you finally felt it, it wasn't really there. Because he would never turn you away.
Life is a cycle of alternating rises and falls. Your path wasn't all downhill before. It was straight up or up.
Since you live with your lovely sensei, everything is downhill. More days go by during which you can smile sincerely when he is standing next to you.
You are unable to think about how your friends and parents feel. Because you weren't as happy with them as you were with him.
Everyone will come to terms with death someday. Every now and then someone dies in the world. You learned this honest truth in Jujutsu High. You've learned to accept death. others and even yours.
You weren't that much of a sorcerer. You had a powerful technique. But surely no other sorcerer has ever seen a young sorcerer act like you.
You refused to use your cursed energy. Because your Gojo-sensei gave you the opportunity. You could live with it without having to use technology. Because you will always be safe. And he'll assure you that your sweet face won't change.
You didn't need your technique when you lived with him. He didn't tell you to be a verb. You could just be you. His sweet girlfriend. His sweet and innocent ex-student.
You haven't been his student for two years. But you still feel like you did. Because you still like to call him sensei. Because he seems to like it. He liked it. You weren't like the rest. You used to call him "Satoru-Sensei" sometimes.
And all because he told you to call him by his name, and sometimes you forgot and you called him like a teacher.
But now that you're talking to him like that, everything's fine. Because when you say that to him, he smiles.
He takes it as sweet words. Because everything you say to him is cute.
He's not your sensei anymore. But he accepts that you sometimes talk to him like that. He still takes the form of a teacher for you. The teacher who teaches you to live. Life is not an easy task. Everyone has to know something to live. And you need a little more than other people to live with it.
You're younger than him. You were his student. You are gentle and cute. While he's been killing for years. In his hands is power that other people can only dream of. He was teaching you to work with your technique even though he didn't know it himself. He taught you something. But he gave you more feelings than science. He hugged you and took care of you. He encouraged me to keep working. Just to show you that you can let go now.
When you live with it, there's no need for you to fight. There is no need for you to use your Jujutsu technique. You do not have to do that. If you don't want to, he doesn't force you. If you don't want to be a sorcerer, you don't have to.
But I guess you never thought that after all this, he wouldn't let you be a sorcerer anyway. He won't let anything hurt you. He won't let you leave a safe place.
He almost lost you. He almost lost your smile. He almost lost your lovely pink cheeks. So he wasn't going to risk it.
He wanted to make you happy for the rest of your life. But in a place where you'll always be safe. Where no one can make your smile disappear. No one will be able to do that because no one else will ever be there for you. It will be only him.
People hurt you? They don't have to be by your side. Did non-humans hurt you? He will murder curses non-stop if he has to, to get revenge on this whole species.
You are his sweetheart. His sweet little Ashamed-chan…
But now, you're mochi to him. Baby. Sweetheart. Honey. Kawaii-chan.
Even though it was cute that you often embarrassed yourself, he didn't want your embarrassment to make you run away from his attention.
You must be lovely and loved. But you're supposed to be his (y/n).
He won't let you out into a dangerous world.
Because he almost lost you once.
The only thing you have to give him for eternal happiness with him is you.
Your happiness is Gojo-sensei. And his happiness is that you are with him.
No one could be with you but him. Toge? No. He couldn't. Yuji? Megumi? Even though they were his disciples and he trusted them, he could never trust them to hold your heart.
Your heart was tender and longing for love.
Only he could give you that. Because you only wanted him.
He has given you a lot from the very beginning. That's why he was the person you fell in love with. And no one could say otherwise. There was a lot between you. Now there's even more.
You've been here with him for almost two years. On the island. In your house. Where you feel best. Where you can spend time with him.
You were 18 now. And he's almost 30. But would you ever mind the age difference?
Gojo-sensei never changes. That's why it will never change between you either. You will be together because no one will stop you from doing so.
Only you are here. You only see his face. And he's someone you don't want to run away from. Why run away from the paradise you've been given?
You love your life with him. With your Satoru-Sensei who will always hold your hand and lead you through life.
He will not allow any danger near you. He won't let you stray from the right path. You will obediently walk holding his hand.
Because if he didn't love you, you wouldn't be here.
And he loved you so much. Most in the world. There will never be a moment when something turns out to be a lie.
Because Gojo-sensei tells you that you are his. That you will always be together. Only with him. That he loves you. That you are his girlfriend. Only him and no one else. That he won't let you walk away from him. That he would never let anyone take him from him. Because he loves you and wants to spend his life with you.
And there's not a single lie in that.
All this is the truest truth. And you don't even want to look for lies because you won't find it.
He is the most sincere and kind person you've ever met.
Your sensei is your true love.
A man who keeps his word and keeps you happy.
And in return you give him you.
For love you give him love.
"Your gentle touch in the morning always makes me melt for you."
Raising your head slightly as you lay on his chest, you stopped for a moment tracing your finger around his bare abdominal muscles.
"I'm melting for you, baby. And you don't know how happy I am. I can wake up next to you every morning."
"Sensei, Ohayo. I hope you slept well." You sat down slowly on his stomach and leaned over with a smile to give him a kiss on the lips.
A slight blush on your cheeks.
He licked his lips with a bigger smile after the kiss.
"When you greet me like that, I would never think that I slept badly. I slept with you. To wake up in the morning and see the most wonderful thing in the world next to me. To see my perfect girl sleeping cuddled up to me in my arms."
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complete-utter-fandom-hell · 7 months ago
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Canto VI made me realize something— if the quality per Canto keeps increasing, will we ever get a revisit of old Cantos that don't have as much content compared to the newer ones? For instance:
Canto I - 23 pieces of cutscene art, 12 backgrounds, 2 unique distortions
Canto II - 19 pieces of cutscene art, 23 backgrounds, 3 (technically) unique boss fights
Canto III - 17 pieces of cutscene art, 15 backgrounds, 3 unique boss fights, 1 in-battle cutscene
Canto IV - 39 pieces of cutscene art, 27 backgrounds, 5 (I'm 90% sure) boss fights, 2 in-battle cutscenes
Canto V - 43 pieces of cutscene art, 39ish backgrounds, 5 boss fights, 3 in-battle cutscenes
Canto VI - 29 pieces of cutscene art, 36 backgrounds, 4 boss fights, 5-9 in-battle cutscenes depending on your definition of a cutscene
Canto VI isn't a great example of this because numbers-wise it may seem like it has less, but also there was a lot more creativity in the use of resources here and most of them took a lot longer to make and had like a bajillion different sublayers
RIGHT! THE POINT I WAS TRYING TO MAKE WITH THIS. I just thought that it'd be nice to get a Canto I-III revisit or something bc like while they were introductory chapters, it sort of feels like the respective characters were slighted since they didn't really get as much content as Cantos IV-VI did. I'm sure I'll look back at these Cantos soon and find them lacking compared to Canto VII onward, but idk. It just got me thinking if we get anything more for characters whose chapters have already happened.
Anyways. Canto VI was great. I really liked it. Rant over.
(PS: I'm not saying that older Cantos are lacking, it's more that the newer ones are too good that they're raising the bar lmao.)
BUT LIKE!! IF RUINA IS ANY JUDGE, THEY CAN GO SO COMPLETELY BATSHIT WITH FUTURE CHAPTERS
This is why we should have a new Gregor Canto. Actually, every Canto is Gregor's. Limbus Company? What's that? I only know Gregor's Company
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weaselandfriends · 23 days ago
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Recently finished reading Cleveland Quixotic, so now I have read all six of your stories in the span of like two months. I had a serious illness and had to stay in bed during all that time and you got me through it.
Questions...
Have you read every book referenced in the chapter titles? Have you watched every (real) anime mentioned in in CxC? Have you played Bubsy 3D 2?
Is there any WoG on the connection between Aracely and CM? When reading Chicago, I interpreted CM's wish to mean that "Cely Sosa" was herself, and that Charlie Vizcarra/Clownmuffle were different identities Kyubey had conjured for her after messing with her memories as per her wish. The alternate versions (?) of them in When I Win suggest... I'm not sure. Any comment?
Obligatory who are your biggest artistic influences question.
Especially in terms of tone and thematic focus, you are the bleakest writer I have engaged with that managed not to fall into the trap of numbing misery porn (Berserk, Wildbow, etc). Is something you are conscious of and intentionally try to avoid?
Who is your favorite character, from your own books? Which character do you see yourself as most similar to?
In Modern Cannibals, Graves and Maximillion and Hussie are LITERALLY meant to be the same interconnected entity, right? I was discussing this with a friend who I got to read it, and they agreed that they were meant to be connected as different potential representations of either AH or artists in general, but I read it as them actually being some fantastical unholy trinity monster. The story has a lot of allusions to Catholicism (the game designer in one of his monologues directly compares to his position as an creator as Christ being transmuted and consumed), was wondering if this was as much of an intentional choice as I'm assuming.
Are you ESL? My friend seems to think there are a few minutes "tells" in your work, and if you were that would be the most motivating thing ever for me
Oh boy, a lot to cover here. (I love it, thank you for this ask.)
I've read almost all of the books used as chapter titles. The only chapter titles that come from things I haven't read are:
Magica Madoka Veneficus Puella, from Fargo Ch 38 (This Story's Dead) - I just happened to see the author note blithely describing the story as scrapped and thought that was funny.
To the Stars, from Chicago Ch 24 (To the Stars) - As I mentioned in an old review of To the Stars, I only managed to read about 200,000 words of this nearly 1 million word behemoth.
Dunston Checks In, from Chicago Ch 29 (Dunston Checks In) - I have not seen this movie.
As for the anime in CxC, I've seen most of it. I haven't seen Gabriel DropOut or Himouto! Umaru-chan and I've only seen 8 episodes of Revolutionary Girl Utena before I dropped it. (I have an old ask about Utena where I express my unpopular opinion that I didn't like it, to the dismay of everyone who interacted with the post, but I can't find it anymore.) I'm obsessed with lists, so I have a list of every anime I've seen with a number rating (the Dropped section is also accurate).
I have, in fact, actually played Bubsy 3D 2 (also known as Bubsy 3D: Bubsy Visits the James Turrell Retrospective), and not just seen the Dunkey video from which all the Bubsy 3D 2 chapter titles come from. (Including WIW's chapter title, MEWSEUM.) I've also gone to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, where Bubsy 3D 2 is set.
Since I keep bringing up Dunkey in this ask, I'll mention that I'm actually in four Dunkey videos. I used to play League of Legends with him in 2012. We even did a group watch of the Disney Channel original movie Don't Look Under the Bed.
2. That's an interpretation I never would have thought of, but it's really cool! (My commenters always seem to have predictions/interpretations I wish I thought of.) My mindset regarding Clownmuffle's wish in Chicago was based on the classic work of horror fiction by RL Stine, Be Careful What You Wish For (Goosebumps #12). In it, the main character, Samantha Byrd, wishes in a fit of rage for her bully/rival "to just disappear." The wish works, but there's a catch - everyone else in the world has disappeared too! Which is just like, okay at that point it's not even be careful what you wish for, you're just making stuff up. At the end of the story, Byrd fixes everything and makes it so her bully/rival gets to make wishes instead. The bully immediately wishes for Byrd to become a real bird, which she does, and nobody else in the world becomes a bird, suggesting the wish woman was just particularly screwing over Byrd for no reason.
Anyway, my mindset was that Charlie and Cely were rivals, and things spiraled out of control, so that Charlie wished for Cely to disappear. What specifically caused them to fall out? I'll leave that open ended.
3. Franz Kafka is my biggest literary influence, though as even just this ask probably reveals, I can take influence from pretty much anything. I'm probably the least Homestuck-esque creator of the many creators influenced by Homestuck, but it was a major influence. The rapper Aesop Rock is another major influence (I'm named after him). Beyond that, pretty much anything I've read or seen might be an influence on me. Cockatiel x Chameleon's two main artistic influences were Lucky Star and the Madoka Rebellion movie, for instance.
4. Honestly, I love bleak misery porn. I love just the most depressing story you can imagine. I love when a story ends and there are maybe 2 characters still alive and they're both generic bureaucrats there just because someone needs to give the final line (like in Hamlet, King Lear, and Akame ga Kill).
Cockatiel x Chameleon is probably the work that most completely realizes my artistic ambitions, and it's no coincidence it's my bleakest and most depressing work. But ordinarily I often feel like I have a duty to achieve some sort of reader satisfaction. I would not consider myself a very indulgent author. I don't know if I could even be one if I tried.
5. My favorite character I've written is Khalid "Lil Cal" Bhandari from Modern Cannibals. I love his role in the story structurally. I love how Z. is so excited to go on this road trip with her friends and then neither of her friends talk to her at all and she winds up talking to this random guy all the time who is introduced as a literal who she has to put up with. I love how he vanishes for half of the story after walking off into the desert and then reappears 50,000 words later to participate in a climactic rap battle. I love his analysis of Malkwon's rap music. He's just a really funny character with a unique role in the story.
The character I'm most similar to is Harper Praise. Cockatiel x Chameleon is my most autobiographical work.
6. I designed Modern Cannibals so that both interpretations would exist simultaneously. They could be different people, or all aspects of the same person (Hussie). Modern Cannibals dwells on questions of identity and people having different faces or sides that are not immediately seen: Not just Maximillion/Ian West, Graves/Hussie, Max/Cosplay Max, but also almost everyone Z. interacts with, who winds up revealing completely new facets of their character in their POV scenes that Z. is totally blind to. This theme of identity works both on the level of Z.'s relationship with her friends, but also on the level of the creator figures' relationship with their audience. It culminates in the final question of the story: Who is speaking the story's final words, Shirou Katsumata the game developer, or his corporate-approved translator?
The identity aspect also translates into a lot of doubles or pairs that are less explicit and more thematic. For instance, each of the three main kids (Z., Kiki, Max) winds up having a "counterpart" in the three main adults (Maximillion, Mitchum, Hussie). The POV chapters are arranged symmetrically around Max's POV chapter as an aspect, with characters either getting a second POV scene in the same position on both sides of the axis (Kiki being the first and last POV scene, Maximillion being the second and second-to-last), or having a different but similar character replace their position on the other side of the axis (for instance, Shirou Katsumata and Andrew Hussie's POV scenes exist in the same position around the axis, prompting comparison of them as creator figures beleaguered by their fanbases). By the end of the story, Z. has seemingly replaced Kiki and Max with Cecily and Maximillion, both of whose names are similar to those of the people they "replace."
So yes, all of these characters who might or might not be the same character were intentionally designed in such a way, and I think that's core to how Modern Cannibals is operating on a thematic level.
7. I am not ESL, sorry. I wonder what those "tells" are...
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strangerquinns · 10 months ago
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Deadly Reunion| Chapter 29
Eddie Munson x female!reader // a stranger things apocalypse au
summary: You and Eddie have been best friends since childhood. But when the outbreak happened five years ago, you were torn from one another in the chaos. but now you’re left alone, after your group was killed by another radical crew, leaving you to seek out what was once home. // zombie apocalypse Hawkins set in 1993
warnings: angst + adult themes w/ descriptions of violence, blood, torture + other zombie apocalypse related issues (no use of y/n)
word count: 2.3k+
⪻ previous chapter | next chapter ⪼ | stranger things masterlist | chapter one
Your arm wrapped around Robin’s shaking shoulders as you stood beneath the grey sky of Hawkins. On your other side stood Eddie with a somber look on his face. Around you, you could hear others crying and sniffling – some quietly and others not as much.
In the few days that you had been unconscious, others were prepping to bury those who had been lost during the raid on the mall. In front of you were soft mounds of dirt, handcrafted crosses sticking in the ground with their name marked in the middle.
Enzo, Murry, Argyle, Catherine, El, Will and Vickie.
It broke your heart to hear that Jonathan had not only lost his girlfriend but now his younger brother. Mike fell under the same line, losing his sister and now his girlfriend, El. You squeezed Robin a little harder as she let out another sob, your heart clenching as you heard the pain evident in her cries. Robin and Vickie had only started getting to know one another, finding comfort and love when everything else seemed to be falling apart.
“…even though they are lost, we will continue to hold them in our memories. May they find solace in their rest, and forever find peace.” Hopper spoke, standing behind all few graves.
Silence fell around everyone, and after a moment, people began to walk forward to drop off flowers and say their final goodbyes, before leaving and heading back.
“I-I…I want to say g-goodbye.” Robin spoke between hiccups, before stepping forward and walking toward the small mound with Vickie’s name on the gross.
Your frown deepened more as you wrapped your arms around yourself and turned more into Eddie. Instinctually, he wrapped his arm around your shoulder and pulled you closer to him. His nose nuzzled into the top of your head before pressing his lips against your forehead.
“Hopefully this is the last goodbyes we have to say for a long time,” You said as you leaned more into Eddie.
“I hope so too,” Eddie’s dark eyes searched around the small graveyard that had slowly begun to grow at the back of the property, before landing on a tall figure still lingering. “If you want to speak with Hopper, now is the time.”
“Is now really the right time?” You pulled back from Eddie to look up at him.
“I don’t think there is ever a right time, but you’ve got your chance. I’d take it.”
Your eyes searched over his face before solemnly nodding your head and stepping away from Eddie. You walked past the small crowd that was lingering around before walking closer to Hopper. He stood at the small makeshift entrance, speaking with others, and shaking hands. Ever acting as the Chief of the town, or really, more so a Mayor. The moment Hopper saw you approaching, a look crossed over his aging face.
“I was wondering when you were going to come and see me,” He started “I’m surprised it has taken you this long.”
You shrugged your shoulders, “I’m here now, so…you know what I’m going to say or talk about.”
“Your little friend downstairs, I know. Eddie already told me about her when you were…” The word hung between the two of you, causing the tension to grow a little stronger.
“I know Wendy, she wasn’t with that group out of choice.” You cleared your throat, “She isn’t someone that we have to keep locked up, we can trust her.”
“And I’m supposed to just take your word for it?” Hopper questioned.
“Yes,” You stressed, raising your voice slightly as you looked up at him. “You know me, Hopper. Have my entire life, do you really think I would bring someone here knowing they were a danger?”
You angrily crossed your arms at your chest and glared up at him slightly. Even though you were offended, you understood where Hopper was coming from. He felt responsible for the people here, on top of losing too many because of the radical group. His own daughter, your once upon a time best friend, is one of those people. Hopper wasn’t quick to trust those that he knew.
His shoulders dropped with a heavy sigh before he spoke again, “I’m not saying the poor girl has to stay down there forever. We have been treating her well.”
“She’s told me.” Hopper cocked his brow as he looked down at you, “Are you really surprised that I went down there?”
“Seeing that you should be recovering, and focusing on that, yes.” Hopper reached up and scratched at his greying beard, “I will think about it ok?”
You nodded your head, “OK.”
Hopper smiled down at you slightly, before walking around you and back closer to the grave site. You saw Eddie standing off to the side with Steve, the two of them keeping their eyes on Robin. You took that as your moment. You slowly walk along the stones, looking and reading the names on the hand-crafted markers, and stopping once you see it.
Sarah Hopper.
A short breath stopped in your throat as you stared down at her name. Seeing some old, dying bundles of flowers set beside the cross.
“Fuck,” You choked out as your eyes began to burn.
Of course, you knew that Sarah was gone. But there was something about seeing her final resting spot that just made it more real.
“Hey Sar,” You started, looking around to see that you were alone at this end of the site. “I’m sorry it’s taken a while for me to come and see you. One could say it’s been a little…hard.”
You sniffled slightly and reached with a shaking hand as you wiped away the tears.
“I also was really mad at you, there, for a while. All I wanted to ask was - how could you? You knew how much he meant to me; how much I love him. But then I really thought about it more and more, and now I get it.” You shrugged and tilted your head back, staring up at the sky. “I get it now. In all the loss, and pain, and suffering…you just needed someone. Needed someone close, to make you feel…something. So thank you, in return. Thank you for taking care of him for me. For being there for him when I couldn’t. I wish…I wish I could tell you in person…hug you…but I can’t. At least not in this lifetime.”
You knelt down and stared down at her name in the worn-down wood, as a cold breeze moved around you, causing the leaves around you to dance. For a moment, you believed it was Sarah – or you thought that to bring yourself some comfort. You didn’t care.
Cause you could feel her. You felt close to her as you sat there and talked to her. Talking about your times down south with your mother, how you joined the group, and where you eventually met Wendy. How you lost your mom and were on your own for a long time. How you fought through till you made it back to Hawkins, back to your family and something familiar. You sat there and told her how you finally told Eddie how you felt.
“…I’d never been more in love with him now than I ever have before. I-I can’t explain it…but it’s like he’s another part of me. My other half…the thought of him not being there anymore causes me pain. I can feel it building and tightening in my chest till it spreads through my whole body.” You spoke to her, twiddling with blades of grass. “Of course, you’d be rolling your eyes at how stubborn I’d been once I found out about you two. But I’m not angry anymore. Not when we don’t know how long we have left with each other in this world.”
You sat there and talked to Sarah’s grave till night started to fall and the sun seemed to sink down into the sky. The breeze got colder, and you brought your jacket around you a little tighter.
At one point you heard the sound of footsteps crunching down into the dead leaves coming closer to you.
“There you are,” Eddie’s voice came from behind you slightly, you turned to look over your shoulder at him. He stuttered in his footsteps slightly when he saw whose grave you were sitting at. “Sorry…got worried when you didn’t come back down.”
“I snuck back after talking with Hopper,” You moved to bring your knees closer to your chest, “Was having a little chat with my best friend,”
Eddie faked offense, pressing a hand to his chest, “I’m hurt, sweetheart, I thought that was me.”
You laughed lightly and rolled your eyes, as Eddie moved closer to you, and dropped down beside you. He crouched down and reached forward to wipe away some debris and dirt on Sarah’s cross.
“I hadn’t been out here in a long while.” Eddie spoke somberly, before his eyes looked to you, “How are you?”
“I’m ok…it’s hard…knowing that she’s no longer here. But it’s comforting to know she’s close. Felt good to just…act like she was here and talk with her.”
Eddie nodded his head, “That’s good.”
“I also thanked her…for taking care of you…being there for you when I couldn’t.”
Eddie pursed his lips for a moment before looking down at the ground in front of him. His dark curls act as a curtain and hide away his face. A silence fell between the two of you for a long time, before he spoke.
“If I had known, baby…I would have never…”
“I know.” You spoke, interrupting him. Your hand reached forward and pushed back his curls. Tucking them behind his ear before moving your hand down to caress his face. Your thumb moved along the top of his cheekbone as his eyes looked at you. “You don’t need to apologize, or anything. I get it.”
Eddie opened his mouth to speak, before stopping and nodding his head.
“Come on, sweetheart, let’s get home.” Eddie moved to stand first, before reaching his hand down to you.
Quickly you grasped his hand before standing, you two took a few steps away before you stopped to look back.
“I’ll come and talk again,” You spoke to no one but felt the need to say it out loud as if she was truly there.
A few days later you sat in a chair across from Hopper. Down the hall, you could hear the faint sound of people enjoying their lunch, or others passing as they went about their day or continued to work.
“I think you know why I’ve asked for you to come and see me,” Hopper spoke, fidgeting with the pen in his hands.
“About Wendy?” You questioned.
Hopper sighed heavily, “I have talked with a few others to get insight on what we should do with Wendy. She is your friend and you’re vouching for her, similarly to what Eddie did for you. The only difference is how she has come to be with us.”
“Can’t we give her a chance?” You asked, a pleading tone to your voice.
Hopper stared at you, the expression on his face unreadable. “If we do, if she does anything, it falls on you.”
Your stomach dropped for a moment, but deep down, you knew that Wendy could be trusted.
“She’ll be placed into the dorms, just like you had, and you’re going to be the one to keep an eye on her. One job she will not have been being part of the raid team or part of those that defend the border.”
“I think that is fair,” You agreed. “I-I was going to ask…after I was healed, but I think I should be off that as well. At least for a little while.” Hopper’s brow rose slightly. “Eddie thinks it would be best if I took a little rest, and I agree. My body has been through some roughness, and I really need to heal. I would like to work more in the farming, tend to the animals and everything.”
“I think that would be a wise choice, I know they need the hands over, and maybe Wendy can help out as well. Till she finds her place.”
You eagerly nodded your head, “Once people get to know her, they will see that she can be a good addition to this camp.”
“I believe you,” Hopper smiled slightly. “You can be the one to give her a tour, help her settle in and everything.”
You followed close behind Hopper as the two of you headed toward the elevator in the back hallway. The ride down was in silence, and you couldn’t help the sense of déjà vu that came over you, remembering your first day in the camp. When the door opened, the sterile white halls were bright under the fluorescent lights, Hopper stepped out and walked straight to the door you knew Wendy was behind.
He pulled out a set of keys, before pushing the door open, stepping aside to let you be the first to walk in. The moment Wendy heard the elevator open, she quickly stood from the bed and stood to wait and see who was coming down. But what she wasn’t expecting to see was you coming through the door. A deep sigh of relief came from her lips and her eyes quickly watered as you stepped forward.
“Wendy,” You softly spoke, before moving across the room and pulling her into your arms.
Wendy relaxed into your arms and squeezed you tightly, the two of you holding the other like you’d be torn apart. With a shaky breath, you stepped back and smiled down at her with tears in your eyes.
“How do you feel about coming up, and staying here with us?” You asked.
Wendy’s smile brightened, “That’s something I would really, really like.”
one more chapter left and then it's over. please reblog + like if you enjoyed!
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thesilliestofgals · 5 months ago
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A Legacy of Brambles and Thorns Abridged Analysis: Elizabeth "Lizzie" Hearts
If you haven't read A Legacy of Brambles and Thorns by @c-rose2081, I highly suggest you do, as it is one of my favorite Ever After High rewrites! I would also suggest you do it before diving into my analysis, as it will contain spoilers for what has happened thus far in the story. (also, this very likely won't be proofread, so if you see any spelling or grammatical errors, no you don't.)
Lizzie Hearts is a fascinating character in this version of Ever After High. We don't know much about her other than a few details here and there from other characters when she first makes an appearance- saving Briar from being poisoned by an assassin. By doing this, Briar now owes Lizzie a boon of sorts, but interestingly, Lizzie makes it so Briar has a favor from her:
"...The wonderlandian girl stepped forward, standing on her toes to place a kiss right on Briar’s cheekbone. Startled, she reeled back in confusion, but the future Red Queen took her face in one hand, sharp nails ghosting against her skin. Lizzie continued to stare for a while before something crossed her face and she visibly relaxed. Humming a bit in her throat (the first sound Briar had heard from her) she stepped back, walking off without a word. 
“Ooh, Lizzie likes you,” Maddie chirped. “You’re a lucky duck!” 
No one gave an explanation as the three Wonderlandians made their exit, heading back down the hall and around the corner towards the Castleteria. Briar stared in their wake, lifting a hand to feel the smudge of red lipstick left on her face. “Darling, I think I’m hallucinating.” 
“Not hallucinating,” the knight confirmed with a faint laugh. “You just received a token from the future Red Queen. Consider that a great honor.”" (Act 1, Chapter 11)
The audience soon discovers what exactly the favor Lizzie will call upon for Briar to fulfill: to return with her to Wonderland and be her champion, which is confirmed by a prophecy:
"A champion of white bears the scales and a champion of red bears the sword." (Act 1, Chapter 14)
Here's some interesting... Lizzie made it clear at the end of Act 1 that she does not like Snow trying to control the people with destiny:
"“But I will not go empty handed. The Ever Queen is a traitor, playing favorites to the White Court when she’s already promised to be unbiased. The treaty between Wonderland and Ever After is broken, and I cannot leave here with nothing. My people are in grave danger, threatened by the ivory regime. Destiny is not meant to be used as a guise for power, it is meant to be unique and ever changing, if not sometimes unfair. I will not allow my people to be bound to something falsified...”" (Act 1, Chapter 29)
This, followed by her actions in the rest of the chapter, confirmed something to me about the new Queen of the Red Court.
Elizabeth "Lizzie" Hearts is a hypocrite.
This was even confirmed by the author herself when yours truly sent in an ask expressing this!
"...(So yes, she is totally a hypocrite. If not a different flavor than Snow and with slightly different intentions)"
For further context, as I know I cannot just call Lizzie a hypocrite before moving on: After the death of her mother, Lizzie's soldiers invade Ever After High. At some point, Lizzie kidnaps Briar, manipulates her into agreeing to being her champion, and then drugs her into a forced sleep.
(WARNING: this is where it gets a little incoherent, so be warned lol)
Here was my initial thought: Lizzie says she doesn't like Snow controlling people via destiny, and then, in the same chapter, lies to Briar in order to get her to fulfill the prophecy. Now doesn't that sound familiar?
(Another little tidbit: you could argue that all the things Lizzie has done for Briar since they met was a tactic to get Briar to trust her, so she'd be more willing to agree to be her champion. Just, y'know, something to think about, too.)
But here's where it gets complicated: Lizzie is doing this for the Greater Good, in order to keep her kingdom, and by extension, her people, safe. While this doesn't excuse her actions, it does separate her from Snow White's reasonings for using destiny with the people of Ever After- control.
Something else that also piqued my curiosity is how in the story, Lizzie Hearts/Briar Beauty is tagged, and in Chapter 14, Lizzie mentions this:
"“She has ferocity and courage in her eyes,” Lizzie admitted, counting her cards as they laid before her. “But something else too, which is nay impossible to explain or describe. I wonder if it is the same feeling mother had upon finding my father as her champion.”"
She also calls Briar "my love" a few times at the end of Act 1.... hmmmmm...
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It's all just so... fascinating to me. I have a feeling sometime in Act 2, Briar will call out Lizzie (I'd be surprised if she didn't), and maybe that'll be a little plot point, or maybe it won't, who knows!
This was just me word vomiting onto a tumblr post, but I really enjoyed doing it, so maybe I'll do it in the future with another eah fanfic character :)
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canonicallyobserving911 · 5 months ago
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Several Sentences Sunday
Fanonwriter2023 on AO3
Where CANON and FANON collide!
Season 7 FANON FanFic: Buddie Multi-Chapter - Hiatus Reading: “I’m still in love with you but... I needed to learn how to love myself too!”
Chapter 29 will be posted soon.
This is an EPIC LOVE STORY!
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Currently 28 chapters completed: 1.77M Words; Rated: Mature
One chapter will be posted at a time.
#1 {Previous snippet}
#2 {Previous snippet}
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I'm excited to finish writing Chapter 29 because at the end of Chapter 28, it was early in the morning and Buck and Eddie were lying in bed having a serious conversation about whether Eddie's going to delay the pursuit of his second paramedic certification, the ACP-C. Buck doesn't want him to give up his dream, especially now since they know what caused Buck's bradycardia and he's on medication. He's doing better and even though he's still grieving, he believes once he passes the last two stages of grief, Frank may clear him to return to work but he's still not sure if he wants to go back to being a firefighter. Also, Eddie's FMLA ends on January 31, 2024 but the question is will he extend it or return to the 118?
Additionally, Chris is still dealing with one of his classmate's lack of participation in their video game project and it's stressing him out. Furthermore, during their last group therapy session, Buck had a conversation with Captain Jeshan Mehta and he asked him if they could meet so he can get an objective viewpoint from someone about whether he could be a captain someday with the LAFD. He decided not to ask Bobby since he doesn't believe he'll give him an objective viewpoint because in September 2022, he told him he needed more life experience. Things are getting interesting as the Diaz family gets closer to their "New Beginnings".
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Here's a little more from Chapter 29 of Buck and Chris while they're inside of Super Target.
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“I’m not… ”  Buck replies but he trails off when his Apple Watch beeps.
“What’s that?”
“None of your damn business!”
“I have an Apple Watch too and that sounds like a heart monitor warning.  I guess it makes sense that you would be wearing one since your heart stopped last year.”
“I’ve already warned you but I’m going to say it again just in case you missed it.  If you ever come near my son again, it’s over for you!”
“Hmm, you know if there weren’t any security cameras in this damn store, I’d do whatever’s necessary to stop your heart again but this time, no one would be here to restart it.”
“If you think you’re bold enough, just fucking try it and watch me break your damn neck.”  He sternly replies.
Suddenly, an unknown voice booms from behind Buck.  “Excuse me?!  Is everything, ok here?!”
Neither of them look in that direction but Buck believes it’s a security guard because he can also hear Chris’ crutches.
“I meant what I said… if you ever come near my son again, I’ll kill you and that’s a promise.”  He whisper shouts with so much venom in his voice he knows they understand he means business.
They plaster a fake smile on their face, look over Buck’s shoulder at the security guard and says, “Yes sir… everything’s ok.  We’re just catching up but I got what I came for so I’m leaving now.”  Then they smirk at Buck, turn around and walk away.
Buck keeps watching until they leave the aisle, then he turns around and before he has the chance to focus, his knees buckle but he manages to remain standing.  When he looks at the security guard, he sees a tall man with big muscles and he also sees Chris is not too far away from him.  He’s standing with a woman who’s wearing a red shirt with khakis pants and he can see her name tag too.
His vision starts to close and everything around him starts to look fuzzy the same way it did the morning he read Malone’s letter.  He feels it as his heart rate plummets and he knows it’s happening because his Apple Watch starts continuously beeping.
“Buck, are you ok?”  Chris asks in a high pitched voice.
His knees buckle again but he manages to stay upright.  His chest is hurting and he can feel the tug of death trying to take him back to a place he doesn’t want to go.
While maintaining eye contact with Chris, he forces himself to say, “Chr—is, Chr… call—call… dad for me… and—and ask… him to come quick… pleaseee!”
He watches as Chris removes his phone from his pocket and he also sees two people swiftly walk past him, the security guard and the employee.
“Excuse us coming through!”  A tall man with snow white hair exclaims.
He approaches Buck, stands in front of him and greets, “Sir, my name is Dr. Keith Dawson, I’m a cardiologist and I work at Cedars Sinai Hospital.  Me and my daughter, Ashley Dawson, she’s a nurse practitioner at First Presbyterian, we were on the next aisle and we heard your Apple Watch beeping, so we rushed over.  Are you having any chest pain?”
Buck’s eyes are wide, they’re filled with tears and he can tell he’s profusely sweating but he’s having a hard time speaking.
“Nod, if you can hear me.”
He nods.
“That’s good and thank you for responding.  Now I see you have a medic alert note attached to your watch, do you mind if I read it?”
He slowly shakes his head no.
Dr. Dawson quickly familiarizes himself with his medical information but when he notices Buck start to sway, he asks, “Sir, can you help me lay him down please?” 
The security guard moves and he gets to Buck just in time before he collapses.
They lay him down on the floor and Ashley hands him the sweater she’s wearing over her scrubs and the security guard removes his jacket.  Dr. Dawson puts the sweater underneath his head and the jacket underneath his ankles.
Buck’s fighting, he’s trying to remain conscious but with every second the pull at the back of his head gets stronger and he knows he’s going to lose consciousness soon.
Dr. Dawson is checking his pulse and he loudly asks, “Does this store have an AED?”
When Buck looks at Ashley, he forces himself to say, “I—I need someone to—to protect my… son!”
Ashley looks at Chris and asks, “He’s your dad?”
“Yes.”
“What’s his name?”
“Evan Diaz but he goes by Buck.”
“Thank you.”
When someone hands Dr. Dawson the AED, the Target employee who’s standing with Chris walks closer and she has Chris right by her side.
“CHR—IS?”  Buck cries.
“Buck! I’m here and I’m on the phone with dad.”
“Sir, my name is Kelsy Stromer and I’m the store manager.  Your son is safe and he’ll be with me until the ambulance arrives.  I’ll make sure he rides to the hospital with you.”
“CH—RIS!”  He says one last time as his eyes close and the darkness takes him.
What's going to happen next? 🤷🏽‍♀️
Is Buck going to wake up this time? 👀
Did the person threatening him and his family leave the store or are they still watching? 🙃
___________
Fic Summary: Months after Buck and Eddie were hit by the same lightning strike; they’re still struggling with the aftermath of it.  But before they make their love confessions, they’ll spend time getting to know themselves as individuals first. Eddie learns to enjoy the simple things in life as he participates in activities on his own and with new friends while Buck learns the rest of the 31-year-old deep dark family secret about his conception and birth. Their journey to forever is still a work in progress but once they finally admit they’re in love with each other, everything that follows their love confessions will be cataclysmic.
__________
Chapter Summaries
Chapter 1 - Eddie makes a new friend while Buck receives devastating news regarding the sperm donation he made for Connor and Kameron.
Chapter 2 - Buck does a lot of research to learn more about the abnormalities found in his red blood cells and Eddie starts a new therapy journey that’s all about him and not the traumas he’s experienced.
Chapter 3 - After more than a month, Buck and Eddie finally spend time together outside of work but it doesn’t end well and they part with a lot of uncertainty regarding their places in each other’s lives.
Chapter 4 - Eddie has a few realizations about his life which causes him to consider moving back to El Paso, TX while Buck continues to be reminded of his past which causes him to take an impromptu road trip across America.
Chapter 5 - Both Buck and Eddie have difficult conversations with their parents and Buck finally learns the truth behind the reason why his mother despised him while Eddie finally tells his mother about the way she tries to control him.
Chapter 6 - More than two weeks after Buck pushed Eddie away after suggesting they needed a break; Eddie decides to try again. Eddie’s there for Buck when he’s at his worst just like Buck was there for him when he was at his worst and he won’t let Buck give up.
Chapter 7 - After Buck’s mental breakdown, Eddie has his back the same way Buck had his when he had his own breakdown more than a year ago.  They share several vulnerable and emotionally intimate moments with one another and they begin to realize their small, sweet and caring gestures matter just as much if not more than any grand gesture ever could because these are the foundations of a long-lasting love relationship.
Chapter 8 - Buck, Eddie and Chris all have their own therapists and during their sessions, they reflect on their pasts while they’re in the present so they can prepare for their future together as a family.
Chapter 9 - Buck and Eddie are there for each other when Buck has to testify as a witness during the trial.  But by the end of it, they’ll both realize their individual and shared traumas are going to keep resurfacing until they talk about them, deal with the fact that they’re in love with one another and face the fact that they can’t live without each other.
Chapter 10 - As Buck and Eddie finally begin to confront their past traumas, they realize how much they need each other to fill in the gaps of their memories.  Additionally, the universe screams at them for what appears to be the one hundredth time so Buck can realize he doesn’t have to ‘find it’ because he already ‘made it’ and Eddie’s reminded tomorrow isn’t promised and he doesn’t have to die alone if he doesn’t want to.
Chapter 11 - A “virga” or dry thunderstorm is in the forecast but once the rain starts, the thunderstorm happening outside won’t be able to match the storm brewing inside between Buck and Eddie.  It’s the universe’s final scream and when the tumultuous winds begin to blow, they’ll have one last chance to hold onto everything they’ve built over the last six years or they’ll lose it all forever.
Chapter 12 - Buck and Eddie have always shared a deep physical attraction and an emotional intimacy that’s unmatched but now that they’re in a relationship, they’re learning how to navigate the romantic intimacy they’ve been waiting for six years to explore. The love they have for each other is a once in a lifetime, soulmate, love of their lives type of love that transcends space and time.
Chapter 13 - While navigating the newness of their romantic relationship, Buck and Eddie take advantage of every moment they spend together. As their individual lives, people from their pasts, time constraints and the possibility of losing each other again make attempts to interrupt and interfere with their journey to forever, they love, care for, support and hold onto each other even tighter to withstand it all.
Chapter 14 - Buck and Eddie can see the lights at the end of the tunnels regarding the results of Buck’s Cancer Screening along with everything else they’re dealing with. But are the lights they see exits to the tunnels or are they headlights on different runaway trains that are speeding towards them in an effort to interrupt their forever?
Chapter 15 - Buck and Eddie have known they were exactly who the other one wanted in a partner since they met six years ago when they agreed to have each other’s backs. They’re in a romantic relationship, they’re both preparing to ask the other one to spend forever with them and by the end of the seventh week into their relationship, together they will plan their most important and greatest adventure for their future.
Chapter 16 - As Buck and Eddie begin to prepare for their marriage ceremony that will take place in Rome, Italy in December 2023, they start planning their first international adventure as a romantic couple. Even though Chris is still the only person they’ve told about their relationship, several people who know them have already witnessed the love they share and as the days continue, others will witness it too.
Chapter 17 - As Buck and Eddie get closer to departing Los Angeles for their international adventure, a moment in time will remind them; life is fragile, tomorrow isn’t promised and every second of everyday should be cherished because everything can change in an instant. The result of that realization will cause them to hold onto each other even more.
Chapter 18 - As Buck, Eddie and Chris prepare for family gatherings before and during the Thanksgiving holiday, the “Santa Ana Winds” start to blow and all sorts of expected and unexpected familial drama ensues.
Chapter 19 - As Buck and Eddie get closer to their wedding day, the universe begins to align everything so that some of their parent and children's relationships are strengthened while others come to an abrupt end.
Chapter 20 - With only 14 days remaining until Buck, Eddie and Chris depart Los Angeles, CA traveling to Rome, Italy, for their first family adventure, an early morning conversation about “tying up loose ends” helps Buck and Eddie realize there are still several things left unfinished on their ‘To Do’ lists. The question is will there be enough time to complete all of them?
Chapter 21 - Buck, Eddie and Chris are finalizing their ‘To Do’ Lists, double checking their itineraries and packing their suitcases in preparation for their trip to Europe so they can board their flight that departs Los Angeles, CA on Friday, December 15, 2023 at 3:25PM.
Chapter 22 - While Buck, Eddie and Chris spend the first 8 days of their European family adventure in Italy, their primary reason for going will be fulfilled as well as several others they hadn’t considered or anticipated.
Chapter 23 - As the Diaz Family continues their Italian family adventure, they’ll say, “Ciao” or hello and goodbye to a lot of things almost immediately after they become an official and legal family.
Chapter 24 - After Buck, Eddie and Chris arrive in London, England on December 24th; the Diazes immediately start preparing to spend their first family Christmas together. During their stay, each of them will hear a few choice words that will be the life raft to get them home to complete their searches to be seen and to be found.
Chapter 25 - After spending more than two weeks in Europe, Eddie, Buck and Chris are back in Los Angeles and they’re getting ready to attend Maddie and Chimney’s New Year’s Eve party. During the event, they have plans to make two surprise announcements but the question is, who’s really going to be surprised, the Diaz family or their found family at the 118?
Chapter 26 - Buck and Eddie are once again faced with their greatest fear of losing each other but this time it could be permanent and if it is, then they won’t be able to spend the rest of their lives together.
Chapter 27 - After Buck resumes therapy, he’ll continue to face the fact that he “DIED” in March 2023 and during those sessions, he’ll learn about the 7 stages of grief. As he continues his healing journey, Eddie will be right by his side just like he promised and the Diaz family will start to deal with their three minutes and seventeen seconds loss as a family.
Chapter 28 - Two years ago, Eddie was asked, “What are you afraid of?”; twice, once by Frank and once by Buck but he only answered one of them without deflecting. Since that time, he’s been to therapy and him and Buck got married but the question resurfaces when Frank asks Buck the same question and Buck asks it of Eddie for the second time. However, when Buck asks, his reasoning will be about something else entirely.
Chapter 29 - Will be posted soon.
__________
Read chapters 1-28 are available on AO3.
Continue reading on AO3
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justallihere · 5 months ago
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❤️👑💌
also!! So obsessed with the last two chapters of SITQ ur the official fanfic queen of slowburn, ty for actually making the built legitimately slow and building up their relationship and chemistry (although it was painful since I just wanted them to get together but it was so worth it). I was wondering if there’s gonna be some sort of pregnancy trope in the story? I’m neither for or against it was more out of curiosity 💃
❤️ What is your favorite line that you’ve written in a fic?
I’ll never be able to pick just one line but rereading this fic has actually been doing me good I forgot how much I loved Xaden in ch 29
“Of course I fucking care!” he shouted, and it was maybe the first time he’d ever raised his voice at her. “Fuck, do you really think I’m such an awful, heartless person that I could take care of you and hold you the way that I have and it means nothing to me? Do you think you mean nothing to me?”
“It’s all been yours since the day you took the crown.” He stepped closer, but he didn’t touch her. “Tell me what you want, Violet, and I’ll make it happen. You want to scream? Want to hit me? Want me to sleep on the floor for the rest of our days? Want me on my knees, begging for your forgiveness even though we both know I wouldn’t mean any apology I made?” He studied her with endless dark eyes. “I can’t apologize for doing what I thought I had to in order to protect my people before I ever knew you, and for doing what I could to protect you once I did. I’m sorry I’ve hurt you, but we have to move forward now. Tell me how.”
“Because I got you.” He lifted a hand to her face, cupped her cheek in his palm like she was something precious and holy. His thumb brushed her cheekbone. “Nothing will ever make me regret meeting you.” He let her go and stepped back. “Go to sleep. I’ll check on you in the morning.”
👑 Do you like writing short fics or long fics?
I want so badly to be a short fic kinda girlie but I like to drag out my slow burn and character development too much lol
💌 Is there a favorite trope you like to write?
Slow burn!!! The slowest of slow!! Other than that forced proximity and enemies to lovers. Basically, sitq is all the things I love
Thank you thank you!!! 🩷🩷 no pregnancy trope around here. I still can’t imagine this version of Xaden and Violet having kids, so I doubt I’ll even do an epilogue or anything including it
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kyouka-supremacy · 1 year ago
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hi! I've been going through your blog and I love all your analyses, we may not agree on everything but it's definitely fun to read and eye-opening and I'm grateful to see someone looking into bsd with such depth and whipping out whole essays <3
On that note. There was a fan theory I read when dead apple came out (for the life of me I cannot remember the source, if anyone knows please tell me) that Atsushi's healing ability applies only to the injuries caused by other abilities, and he can't heal from non-ability things like guns etc. The op cited the scene in ch18 where Atsushi is caught in a shooting, and healed by Yosano in the next chapter.
This theory came about because 1) in dead apple, Shibusawa says that the tiger is "the antithesis to all abilities" and "the ability everyone desires." Then we never get the reason why Shibusawa was so obsessed with Atsushi. And 2) in ch7 after sskk's first encounter where Atsushi's leg is severed, Yosano takes a look and thinks "there's no scar, it's more of a restoration than a regeneration."
The gist of this is that I like the idea of Atsushi not being 100% invulnerable. And, if his is indeed the antithesis to all abilities then I'm excited to see what that entails; it implies that in the face of a time travel ability, he would be able to turn back time (if he knew how to use it ofc, cough Fukuchi fight cough). If the book is tied to an ability, Atsushi may be able to undo changes done by the book? he may also nullify Dazai's nullification? idk this opens many doors. Anyway! this is my fave bsd theory. I think, with how Akutagwa's ability sort of completes Atsushi's, and with the whole Rashomon being able to eat space, maybe with this development it will also "eat" a portion of the timeline, as in, undoing the events that occurred? is this making any sense? sorry for the rant I'd love to hear what u think, thanks <3
Hi!! Thank you for your kind words, they mean a lot!!! Could this be the post you were looking for? Funny enough, it was at the very top of my reblogs queue. Indeed, it's an extremely insightful theory!!!
So, there's a lot to unpack here. Ever since I've read that theory, I've found Yosano's thoughts regarding Atsushi's healing from chapter 7 extremely interesting. It's curious, because the nuance gets completely lost in the official English translation:
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(Raws → fantranslation → official Yen Press English translation). As you can see, the meaning gets totally lost in the last one. It almost makes me wonder if it was an intentional change due to the fact that the plot point won't be brought up in the manga in ten years (much like opting out of adapting the Steinbeck Guild uprising in the anime, since that plot point has been apparently discarded), but I hope that's not the case.
All taken into account, I don't think it's a stretch to say Atsushi's ability, due to his quality of denying other abilities, can only quickly regenerate as far as other abilities wounds go. When I was reading the manga I thought it was only plot convenience and suspension of disbelief, but taking a closer look perhaps the pattern of wounds not caused by abilities taking longer to heal isn't coincidental: it already happened with the wounds he suffered from in the orphanage, which ended up leaving scars (chapter 28), with the Guild's attack, which was of unknown nature but required Yosano's help to heal (chapter 18-19), with Twain's sniper attacks, which as the theory's Op point don't seem to have healed immediately (chapter 29). But in my opinion it's still too little instances to be able to affirm with certainty that it's not just coincidences dictated by plot convenience.
I do have a feeling there must be Something to Atsushi's ability. it can't just be tiger transformation and wounds regeneration. He's the protagonist, and leaving it at that, that's about the lamest ability of them all (sorry!! I love him still!!). I like the idea of Atsushi's ability being truly special, carrying qualities that have yet to be unfolded that make it different and somehow above the other abilities. I really think it'd be the most satisfying progression narrative wise, because so far Atsushi has gotten really little to claim for his protagonist role, being constantly overshadowed by Dazai; but he's the main character still, and it's like the story itself is waiting to reveal what makes him special. And there being something special to his ability has been, though subtly, consistently underlined: the extraordinary bounty on his head that nothing about what we know seems to explain, the fact that the Guild wanted to capture him specifically, the no further elaborated on fact that he's the key to finding the Book, Shibusawa's concern with him and, most importantly, the ability's quality of tearing through other abilities. Like, that feels very relevant; it's different from Dazai's nullification ability in the way it doesn't just temporarily nullify the other ability, but straight up denies it. I feel like in a manga that is so littered with meta commentary on literature, it'd be fitting to have an ability that denies other abilities' very existence, like moving an eraser through the page. It's certainly interesting to think about. And I like the concept of Atsushi's ability as an alternative to Dazai's nullification ability. Dazai has been feeling invulnerable so long, it would be gratifying to contemplate the existence of something that's outside of his sphere of influence, and potentially even more powerful and destructive than he is.
Again, there's already so many elements that make it impossible to ignore the uniqueness of Atsushi's ability; but even then, they're still so sparse and obscure it's really hard to take a guess on what it could really be about, or what is the reason why it's special. There's so much space for speculations - a connection with the book, a singularity, a God-like ability just to name a few -, but in my opinion none of them have any concrete enough canon basis to leave space for theories. I think I'd rather limit myself to say it would make a lot of sense for it to be an ability superior to other abilities, since it's something that has the power to tear through abilities themselves, and I believe that such quality is also coherent with its link to the Book as another ability-originated, extremely powerful object. The ability's power to rewrite reality, if only to a smaller extent compared to the Book, may further hint to its connection to the Book / being originated from the Book / sharing origins with the Book. When the ability immediately helps Atsushi regenerate from ability induced wounds he is lowkey rewriting the story to portray a reality where Atsushi wasn't hurt, and when he tears abilities apart it is lowkey rewriting a story where the ability didn't exist. In that, I believe it wouldn't be too far-fetched to draw similarities with the way the Book works. This also made me realize that where it's confirmed that the Book's altered reality to the point of changing the ada's memories so they remembered committing the terrorism crimes, I'm pretty sure that we never got the confirmation the same happened to Atsushi. Then, what if the book can't have effect on Atsushi due to his ability, but only on the reality surrounding him.
So yeah. I'm curious to see how this will unwrap, although I have my doubts I'll still be around when it does (man, the manga is going to take another six months just to catch up with the last anime episode, so you know). I really really like the concept of Atsushi's ability developing in a way that will make it more functional in a rematch against Fukuchi. I've been advocating for a sskk vs. Fukuchi rematch for years at this point, and it seems like we will indeed be getting it; and sskk BETTER win it this time, it wouldn't make any narrative sense to be otherwise. But to do that they'll have to overcome their biggest disadvantage that is Shintou Amenogozen's time manipulation, so you know!! Looking forward to see a sskk that is now mature and experienced unveil new skills to their abilities.
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connoisseursdecomfort · 2 years ago
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A mini character analysis on Twilight/Loid/[redacted]
As much as I am a tiny bit sad that Loid is still not having that reflection I want him to have after the last arc, I think I will have to remind myself something I posted somewhere else:
“The problem is, Twilight is inching towards his hidden self, [redacted], instead of running towards being ‘Loid’. As much as we want to believe that [redacted] is closer to ‘Loid’ in nature, and that he could have become ‘Loid’ if war didn’t happen, ‘Loid’ is still a work persona created by Twilight to complete Operation Strix. This persona allowed Twilight to ‘love’, but it is also a constant reminder that it is a facade. ‘Loid’ was a middle ground for Twilight to get back in touch with [redacted]. But now it has become a battleground where Twilight and [redacted] are having a standoff.”
I’ll be as patient as I can be.
(Manga spoilers ahead: and an analysis of ch.77)
I see people on twitter saying that everything we love about Loid has gone downhill since ch.62. I don’t necessarily think so because we have ch.68, but it is kinda true he doesn’t seem to get much development on the dad/husband department since the end of the cruise arc. To a point that people started to be angry at him and Endo since ch.75.
Loid has been in this utter confusion since the cruise arc. Before that, he doesn’t realise he has this confusion - he has been able to use the excuse, you know, Loid “for the mission” Forger, to justify everything. The cruise arc is really the first time he’s not on the mission. Basically it takes 50 chapters for Endo to finally ask Loid this important question, “What if it’s not for the mission?”
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This poor man has been confused ever since, like in ch.76:
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This is, of course, just this stupid man’s way of asking if he’s a good enough father for Anya for the mission. But it doesn’t go away easily. He has been a spy for more than a decade. And before that he was alone for years. Being a Forger for only three months is not going to reverse that many years of trauma.
But his true self is winning. Has been winning since ch.62. He still tries to rationalise everything using his spy radar, and somehow he ends up being absolutely genuine.
In ch. 62, right after this scene where he deliberately reminded himself that this is “Loid’s” house:
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He somehow chose to be a real dad instead of being a good spy:
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And the same thing happened again in ch.66:
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Sandwiched between all the spy-talks he had in his head, there is this transparent bubble. This is also the bubble that convinces me that he knows she is keeping secrets, but somehow he doesn’t care. But this is for another day.
His head says spy, but his actions always speak otherwise.
Endo loves to play with the idea of misinformation. He blatantly said in the fanbook that the info Franky has on the Garden is an exaggerated version of it, and is not accurate. The more obvious example would be the Handler’s arc in Ch.63. This is a story about secrets and lies, but there is a grain of truth in all the lies these characters tell us. Especially Loid “for the mission” Forger. From day 1 we knew Twilight’s a liar and a very cool one. But somehow Endo also makes him to be this genuine and sincere man. And he also needs therapy.
So Endo shows us how much he really needs therapy, just look at all these similarities, like this:
Ch.77
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Ch.62.3
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Or this: Ch.77
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Ch.22
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Ch.67.1
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But the real fear is always this: am I worthy for the family? Does she feel that I am worthy enough?
Ch. 77
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For Loid “for the mission” Forger, this basically translates to, my wife and daughter are upset my mission is failing because I’m not good enough I’m a bad spy. He has hit himself with this “bad spy! bad spy!” mentality so many times, it’s basically a running gag now.
Ch.10
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Ch.17.5
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Ch.29
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Okay I give up finding every single panel of him panicking because it’s too much. But I think you get it.
Mr. Austin is so obviously a foil for Loid. As the therapy unfolds, we were trying to figure Loid out just as Loid tried hard to figure Mr. Austin out.
Loid even asked the same question we want to ask him:
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Isn’t that exactly why people are mad at him now? Is he lying to himself when he says for the mission, or is he just lying to us the whole damn time? 
I think the problem is that we are all expecting Loid to be his actual persona. And it could be. But Ch.62 is also reminding all of us that “Loid” is something invented by Twilight. Even Twilight is something invented. By [redacted]. We love Loid. We kinda like Twilight, mostly because he’s hot af. But do we like [redacted], the man with all the flaws and merits Loid and Twilight have?
You see, like father, like daughter. Anya and [redacted] really don’t know what normality is. In Ch. 76:
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And in Ch. 77:
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They really don’t know what it is like to be a normal family, although they are already in one, and they sure feel very loved.
Remember back in Ch.10/Ep.7, when he said this: “I wonder what it’d feel like to have a real family.” This really is Endo asking [redacted] the same question, “What if this is not for the mission? What if you are in a real family?”
And [redacted] still doesn’t know the answer, although the answer is really there right from the start. He is this stupid, stupid man, who’s also absolutely traumatised and utterly confused. But you know what? If this is a story about recovery and rediscovery, then:
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why-not-a-tickle-blog · 2 months ago
Text
My Writing Masterpost
Updated as of 9/12/2024
To check if there are any newer fics since this has been updated, look for the tag #my fic
You can also read many of these on AO3
My Multi-chapter Fics:
We Could Try? 1, 2, 3, 
Patton had found out. He’d found out not only that Virgil was ticklish, and not only that he actually liked it, but also that he’d never had a real tickle session.
Sequels: I do not understand, The Price of Cookies
Grumpy, Sorry
Virgil is grumpy and gets tickled by Patton, and tickles him back a bit. Later, Patton gets him back even more.
Tickle Week: Sunday, the idea, Monday, Dee and Logan, Tuesday, Patton and Roman, Wednesday, Roman and Virgil, 
“Well, seeing as there are six of us, I propose a tickle week. We’ll leave Sunday off, but every other day we’ll put names in a hat and draw one, and whoever’s name is drawn becomes a tickle toy for the whole day.”
The Tickle House:
Virgil’s New Job,
At the End of a Bad Day
Scribbling
There’s a place called the tickle house, where you can pay to tickle or be tickled. Virgil and Janus work there, and the others often visit.
Tickletober 2020:
One: Unusual Spot
Two: Feathers
Three: Stocks
Four: Scribbling
Five: Drawn on
Six: Kiss
Seven: Unusual Tool
Eight: Interrogation
Nine: Ganged Up On
Twenty-Three: Asking For It
My One-shots:
Roman’s Idea is Best
Written with @barelyticklishlee: Roman has a fantastic idea for Thomas’s date. Virgil doesn’t agree, at least at first.
When Patton gets into a Ler mood at the same time as Virgil is in a Lee Mood. 
Pretty self-explanatory
A bit of something soft
Patton’s having a hard day, so Virgil cuddles and tickles him
Cheating at Games is Ill-Advised
Virgil cheats at a tickling game with Logan, and gets very tickled.
Pay Attention
Virgil can’t pay attention to the conversation with Roman and Patton tickling him.
Beware of Running Away from Lers
Virgil tries to run away from Roman
Arms Up
Virgil tickles Roman’s armpits
Belly
Patton feels fat, but Roman still loves him just as much, and wants him to feel so much better.
When Patton has a Hard Day
Patton is feeling down, but tickling Virgil might help him feel better~
Unnamed Fic
Logan gets soft back tickles from Roman.
The Sweetest Lee
Tickling a sweet little lee is just the best thing ever~
It feels better when you just let it happen ;)
Cuddly tickles for Roman.
Remus Catches a Lee
Virgil's been caught in a trap and gets tickled to pieces.
Virgil’s Voice
Virgil wants tickles, but can't voice his requests, so Roman helps him out, getting him all the tickles he wants.
Dwindling Creativity
Roman shrinks down as Thomas's creativity is used up. Janus helps to distract him from his work.
Sacrifice
Patton is gonna tickle someone. If not a sacrifice, then everyone~
Requests:
Roman wants to join
Lee Roman
14 and 25 with Lee Deceit and Let Patton please?
No regrets, with Roman and Remus maybe?
oh requests?? hmm maybe either 22 or 25 w lee virgil and any ler you like?
14 with LerRoman and LeeLogan???
w/ pat ro and lo testing which of virgil's spots is the worst
Tell that to the tickle monster: Ler Patton and Lee Virgil.
16 Any pairing u think fits!!!! 
I know something sweeter than cookies: same pairing, Ler Patton and Lee Virgil.
maybe 29 with ler!patton and lee!logan? 
4 with Lee Roman and Ler Deceit? 
11 with Ler Logan and Lee Roman please 
22 with Lee Logan and Let Remus please? 
19 Lee Deceit and Ler Virgil and Remus please? 
Do you think you could do 3 with a lee Deceit?
9, with Roceit? :3 
16 and 7 with Lee Deceit and Ler Patton please 
Shy Lee Janus being forced to ask for tickles from Ler Logan?
Logan noticing Virgil having a bad day and and just having him lay down and giving him a pillow to giggle and blush into while he traces Virgil's back with his fingers or fluffy brushes to help him relax❤
Moceit cheer up tickles? 😃 (Lee Patton and Ler Janus, if you would)
oh prompts! maybe lee Patton ler roman with some sort of challenge? (Don't move, laugh, smile, whatever)
What about a lee!Virgil? (ler!your choice. Preferably a twin.) Someone comes in to wake him up from a nap, or something, with pokes. Virgil is still half asleep at this point, so he has no filter.
Lee Roman denying his in a Lee mood but Janus is behind him smirking because he knows when someone lies?
So, peharps a bit of Lee!Janus and Ler!Roman, please? Maybe Janus is monopolizing Roman's bed because it's soft and warm and g e t o f f XDD.
Lee!virgil ler!roman? That’s my everything lol
What about Lee Virgil being pranked with tickles by Remus but once Remus stops he shyly asks for more? Please and thank you!
If you're still taking requests maybe lee Janus being overly grumpy and getting cheer up tickles from Logan?
How about Remus acting as annoying little brothers do, and Roman getting back at him with some extra teasey tickles
may I request lee Logan and ler Patton where Pat's just gushing over how cute Lo is while tickling him?
Can please do some Lee janus and ler patton? Like Janus is being suspicious, and Patton is trying to figuring out what he is doing.
For the prompts thing how about Patton ticking Logan to make him take a break from working? 
Ler Logan and Lee Remus, if you are up for it. Remus starts to bother Logan while he is working and Logan gets payback with tickles, knowing secretly that Remus wanted this to happen. ???
Pre-Accepting Anxiety Virgil walks in to the common room to see the Light Sides having a tickle fight, cue big Lee MoodTM. So now he's awkwardly trying to keep up his bad guy persona while desperately trying to figure out how to tell them that he NEEDS to be WRECKED!
Prompts! How about Patton tickling Logan to make him take a break from working I can never get enough of that! 😂
Lee!Patton and Ler!Logan (or whoever you wish!) Patton has always been the mind palace tickle monster and after a week of his evil ler moods and tickle attacks Logan turns the tables and gets revenge tickles?
Ok so... after Accepting Anxiety, Virgil is a little shaken from his name reveal. He sorta hides away in his room because he’s embarrassed, until Roman comes in to check on him and cheer him up and make him feel welcome with tickles 🥺
Logan maybe gets hurt, (trips or bumps against something) and Patton decides to tend to him, making sure he's not injured badly, but it turns out Logan is ticklish where Patton is examining
Ler Patton Lee Deceit - Patton accidentally brushes by Deceits scales and it sets Deceit into a fit of giggles. So Patton gets curious and starts to poke and stroke the patches of scales that are all over Deceits body. And Deceit secretly not so secretly enjoys this
Maybe some cheer up tickles with Logicality where both were watching a show and a tickle scene appeared and person B is like "Oh, this is a signal. That is how I should cheer up my friend."?
How about lee!janus and ler!virgil where Virgil remembers Janus being super ticklish back when he lived with the dark sides still and decides to see if he's still that ticklish.
Could you do a college AU where the core 4 are in their university’s theatre department? Like... they all are walking back to the dorms and they find out Roman is extremely ticklish and tickle and tease him the whole way back??
How about lee Logan hiding his lee mood from Virgil?
lee!Virgil and ler Patton, Logan, and Roman. Virgil has a huge lee mood and is way to shy to ask to be tickled so he drop little hints to try and get tickles( more like Virgil being an a** and a bratty little sh*t). The sides act like they don’t know what he want, but do. So they force him to ask
anything lee logan? I would DIE for lee logan
Okay I’m bored and I need lee!Virgil and lers Janus and Remus
Anything lee Logan would be delightful! Thank you!
I was wondering if you could do something where Virgil gets stuck somewhere and the twins find him and team up to take advantage of the situation? Thank you in advance, your work is amazing!
I would like to make a trade. I will give you a boop for lee!Logan ler!Remus. :D
Janus with hypersensitive scales is the bestttt so how about a rude snake getting tickled to tears by an unforgiving Ler Logan? Maybe using a new tool that makes Janus scream?
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chuckeroo777 · 4 days ago
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Frieren Liveblog- Chapters 29-32
Last time, we found a new companion. Not sure how long he'll be sticking around, but he should be fun.
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I see. So it's been exactly two years since chapter 4. I think you should be a little leniant with him. After all, it was only back in chapter 26 that Stark learned birthday gifts were even a thing.
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Sein has only been with the group for a few days, and even he can see the romantic tension between those two.
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Good to see Sein and I are basically on the same page here. I don't get what Fern's problem with the pouch was though.
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Stop overthinking things. Just talk to people. It's easy.*
*It very much is not easy. But it is usually the correct course of action.
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I see they went to the Loid Forger school of helicopter parenting.
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Yes! She finally gets her revenge for all of Heiter's unsolicited head pats!
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Definitely bigger on the inside.
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TLDR: Flying is hard.
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Once again, I suspect we are conflating warrior traits with dwarf traits.
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Oh. Oh no. I've suspected it for a while, but...
Himmel really did love Frieren, didn't he?
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What an oddly specific and oddly useful spell. Does it only work on things that belonged to you, or can it be used as a general loot-finding spell?
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:(
I really hope Frieren does get a chance to talk to him by the end of all this. Even if they can't be together, I really want to see them reconcile and bring closure to their relationship.
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I think this is the only lingering spoiler. I saw a clip a long time ago of a scene where Frieren explains her deeper motivations when it comes to mimics. It's the same scene that gave me the impression that this manga was more dungeon based.
I think I also remember a clip of Frieren having a wizard duel in a dungeon, but that's such a vague scenario it barely counts.
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Was it, Frieren? Was it?
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Huh, neat. I was wondering why Frieren wasn't able to cure poison and stuff despite studying so much magic.
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A standard round in DnD is six seconds. It'll be fine.
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Talking is a free action. Seriously. I've read enough Manga at this point to know definitively that talking is a free action.
Also, Frieren's go-to slaying spell is a varient of Soul Track, so it would probably bypass refection.
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That's how it goes with this sort of party. Frieren is terrifyingly OP, so the rest of the squad is tasked with covering her blind spots.
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Is this that Yaoi thing I keep hearing about?
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Lol, Fern and Frieren barely hesitate to consider selling Stark's body for money.
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Ah, I see. Guess Stark gets to keep his innocence for today.
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Frieren knows what she's about.
Also, I've long learned to ignore money values in this sort of setting. It tends to come up so infrequently, that there isn't really any consistency.
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Could be worse. And judging from this chapter's cover, I think things will work out fine.
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Talk about imposter syndrome. Not only is he being forced into a noble position, but the young prince is basically in the same position Stark used to be in.
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On the one hand, Frieren may be doing this due to understanding the romantic tension between Fern and Stark. On the other hand, it's just as likely because she's lazy.
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Yep, that's pretty much how I've felt at every wedding I've ever attended.
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Weird. Outside the cover illustration, we basically don't get to see them dance. I imagine the anime won't skimp out.
And that's a wrap! Not too much of note happened this session, but Sein is quickly establishing himself as a nice member of the team, and Fern and Stark are clearly forming a connection, even if they won't admit it.
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